Leading with Emotional Intelligence: Hands-On ... - always yours

256 LEADING WITH EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE
This section is about communication, but you can see that
Davies is also a Star in many of the other EI competencies, such as
Accurate Self-Assessment, Confidence, Trustworthiness, Achievement
Orientation, Initiative, Conscientiousness, Adaptability, Service
Orientation, Empathy, Confl ict Management, Teamwork and
Collaboration, and Influence.
WHAT PITFALLS DOES DAVIES NEED TO BE AWARE OF
IN COMMUNICATION?
Davies knows that communication is a highly interpretative
process. In his business, people are very emotional and highly
committed to the projects at hand. When asked about his potential
pitfalls or blind spots, he mentioned the following four, which are
applicable to all of us.
• “Being blinded by your passion and losing your discriminatory
process.” Passion can be overused, and it is possible to
be seen as a bully instead of exuberant.
• “Timing of when to speak.” It is sometimes tricky to know
when to speak and when not to speak. People want to be
heard, and managing your need to be heard with that of the
client’s need is critical.
• “Being condescending or threatening. Managing your emotions
is critical, and it is important to be aware of any subtle
tones or irritation in your voice, because it can affect or even
subvert the entire message being communicated.”
• “Trying to get credit for things and not giving appropriate
credit.” In the “idea world” it is crucial to acknowledge the
source of good ideas and to only take credit for something if
it is true. If you are in doubt about how the idea was actually
created, it is best to give others credit.