Suggested Reading

by Daniel Goleman, Richard Boyatzis, and Annie McKee

Great leaders move us. They ignite our passion and inspire the best in us. When we try to explain why they are so effective, we speak of strategy, vision, or powerful ideas. But the reality is much more primal: Great leadership works through the emotions. Drawing from decades of research within world-class organizations, the authors of “Primal Leadership” show that great leaders—whether CEOs or managers, coaches or politicians—excel not just through skill and ability, but by connecting with others using Emotional Intelligence competencies like empathy and self-awareness. No matter what leaders set out to do—whether it’s creating strategy or moving teams to action—their success depends on how they do it. The best leaders, the authors argue, have “resonance”—a powerful ability to drive emotions in a positive direction to get results—and can seamlessly interchange among a variety of leadership styles as the situation demands.