Applying Emotional Intelligence to Lead, Mentor, and Pivot into My Next Season
Some leadership lessons don’t arrive gently. Years ago, I almost sabotaged my own leadership. I didn’t realize then that unmanaged emotions — mine and others’ — were steering key decisions. It wasn’t a lack of intelligence or experience; it was something deeper. Later, I discovered Daniel Goleman’s framework on Emotional Intelligence (EQ), and suddenly the patterns became clear. His insights gave language to what I had stumbled through in my leadership journey. I came to realize and to confront a hard truth: technical competence isn’t enough. Emotional intelligence — Goleman’s groundbreaking framework — is what shapes influence, resilience, and trust.