Indian Talent, Global Content
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Indian Talent, Global Content |
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September 2010: What's in the breeze |
Book Review – Primal Leadership
In the current business scenario, a firm needs to constantly adapt to suit the requirements of the market. In such a volatile atmosphere a leader is expected to act like the rudder of a ship, and give direction to the enterprise. As future managers we all know that the importance of leadership cannot be undermined. But what is it that makes some leaders seem more dynamic and more successful than others? It is questions such as these that have created the need for a book like ‘Primal Leadership.’ The authors have made an attempt to highlight the necessity for emotional intelligence among leaders, drawing examples of several individuals through various walks of life, so that the readers can identify personally with the given examples. Each of the authors has helped bring a different perspective to the book. Daniel Goleman, having already written articles regarding leadership and following the huge success of his book ‘Emotional Intelligence’, has a fair idea regarding the topic. Richard Boyatzis, a professor, has had the experience of teaching emotional intelligence (EI) to a number of students. Rounding up the expert trio is Annie McKee who helps bring practical inputs from the world of business through her experiences. Together, they provide valuable insights regarding leadership from various angles. The book can be broadly classified into three parts consisting of a few chapters each. Lets look at them each part in a little more detail- In the first part there is a widespread use of the word resonance. In a literal sense this word means “an intense and prolonged sound produced by sympathetic vibration.” But in this context it is supposed to signify the positive energy that helps bring out the best in people. This can be done purposefully with the help of EI. An attempt has been made here to prove this theory through a medical point of view. The structure of the brain has been analyzed and linked with its various functions. The authors also talk about the open-loop system of the brain, which helps people in getting to a similar wavelength of thinking. A leader is very likely to have an impact on the emotional brains of people around him. Therefore he should have the emotional intelligence in order to create resonance and not dissonance, which can create negative feelings among the employees. The four domains of emotional intelligence are classified as self-awareness, self-management, social awareness and relationship management. The importance and components of each of them has been discussed in detail. A attempt is made further to classify leadership styles into six broad categories. Their impact and basis of selection has been spoken about at length. It is important to note that a leader is expected to change his style of leadership from among the different styles based on the requirement of the situation and the people he is dealing with. Part two of the book is titled ‘Making Leaders’. This part starts off by portraying the kind of troubles that a manager can face due to lack of feedback regarding his leadership style. This has been termed as information vacuum or the CEO disease. The cure for this disease is the self-directed learning process. This involves 5 steps.
These steps can help a person become a resonant leader and it probably is the most important segment of the book. The 5-step method enables a person to assess his current situation and compare it with the desired result. The gaps in the two are revealed and then the person can go on to mend the situation with the power of the brain and with help from reliable people who can provide complete feedback. Once one goes through the above mentioned process the next stage, part three, is to transform the personal level of emotional intelligence to the organization as well. As most of the organisations these days use team-work, it is very essential for the team to function as a unit towards the desired goal. Here it is very important that the group norms are given due respect as teams with individually brilliant people might still fail if group dynamics are overlooked. The team needs to be self-aware, self-managed and an empathetic unit. This involves discovering the team’s emotional intelligence and getting it to a common level in order to get the true spirit of teamwork and to achieve excellent results. It’s the leader’s duty to create a positively charged atmosphere within the work place so that the employees are motivated and can serve their customers better. Therefore, a systematic effort to find out the underlying problems of people and solve them using EI is the right way to progress. The book ends on the note that employee development needs to be a process rather than a program so that its effects can last a longer period of time. Through several practical examples the book has tried to signify the fact that change is inevitable in modern businesses. The right way to transform yourself and your business is to identify the importance of Emotional Intelligence and to use it for creating a positively vibrant and resonant organization. Despite its sluggish pace, the book is a useful read overall as it helps one gain some valuable knowledge about leadership. Details: PRIMAL LEADERSHIP Chillibreeze's disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not reflect the views of Chillibreeze as a company. Chillibreeze has a strict anti-plagiarism policy. Please contact us to report any copyright issues related to this article. Out of 5 “chilies”, our editorial team gave this article...
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