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

ARE YOU A STAR PERFORMER OR JUST AVERAGE? 55
up trash; they were taking care of people. Magic carried this focus
on people rather than tasks over to his career in both basketball and
business. (Service Orientation and Influence)
Though Johnson had early success in his career, he also had to
deal with failures and setbacks. In 1989, at the peak of his illustrious
career, Magic Johnson revealed to a shocked nation that he had
contracted HIV and was retiring from basketball. The sports world
seemed to stand still for a moment as fans and passive observers
alike were left dumbfounded by the news. This startling end to
one of the greatest sports careers ever led many critics to promptly
declare that Johnson’s life was over. Indeed, it would have been easy
for him to slink into the shadows and rest on the laurels of his past
successes, but he possessed an uncanny ability to adapt to new situations.
This adaptability, coupled with optimism and a passion to
serve, propelled him toward success in his life after basketball.
One of Johnson’s early business ventures, though, never made it
off of the ground, in large part because Johnson overestimated his
talents. The venture in question was a sports memorabilia store for
which Johnson handpicked the clothing the store would carry. He
found out the hard way that his own tastes did not reflect those of
his customers. In his book, Johnson credits his tremendous accomplishments
in the business world to a willingness to “check my ego
at the door.” This story provides an apt example of the way that overestimation
of one’s skills can become a derailer. However, Johnson
was able to recognize his own weaknesses and change his business
strategy accordingly. (Accurate Self-Assessment, Trustworthiness)
Johnson in his book highlights many of the EI competencies
that have made him successful.
• Vision: One of his first lessons about vision was from his
father’s view of his business. Johnson states, “The vision
should give your business or career purpose and meaning
beyond paying the bills.” 76
• Emotional Self-Awareness and Emotional Self-Control:
“When fears plant themselves in your mind, they take on