Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman

Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman

Is IQ destiny? Not nearly as much as we think. This fascinating and persuasive program argues that our view of human intelligence is far too narrow, ignoring a crucial range of abilities that matter immensely in terms of how we do in life.

Drawing on groundbreaking brain and behavioral research, Daniel Goleman shows the factors at work when people of high IQ flounder and those of modest IQ do well. These factors add up to a different way of being smart -- one he terms emotional intelligence. This includes self-awareness and impulse control, persistence, zeal and self-motivation, empathy and social deftness.

These are the qualities that mark people who excel in life, whose relationships flourish, who are stars in the workplace. Lack of emotional intelligence can sabotage the intellect and ruin careers. Perhaps the greatest toll is on children, for whom risks include depression, eating disorders, unwanted pregnancies, aggressiveness and crime.

But the news is hopeful. Emotional intelligence is not fixed at birth, and the author shows how its vital qualities can be nurtured and strengthened in all of us. And because the emotional lessons a child learns actually sculpt the brain's circuitry, he provides guidance as to how parents and schools can best use this window of opportunity in childhood. The message of this eye-opening program is one we must take to heart: the true bell curve for a democracy must measure emotional intelligence.

Warren Bennis is Distinguished Professor of Business Administration and founding chairman of The Leadership Institute at the University of Southern California. He also serves as chairman of the Advisory Board of the Center for Public Leadership at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government. He is the author or coauthor of numerous books, including Judgment and On Becoming a Leader.

Daniel Goleman authored the best-selling books Emotional Intelligence and Primal Leadership. He is codirector of the Consortium for Research on Emotional Intelligence in Organizations, based at Rutgers University.

James O'Toole is the Daniels Distinguished Professor of Business Ethics at the University of Denver's Daniels College of Business. He is the author of seventeen books, including The Executive's Compass, Creating the Good Life, and Leading Change.