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The rules at the work places are changing continuously. There is a new
yardstick to measure effectiveness of people like how to derive success out of
difficult situations, handle interpersonal relationships etc. These new measure
takes for granted technical expertise and intellectual ability, and in turn
seeks to assess emotional capacity.
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In a time when job security is outdated, 'soft' skills are what makes and keeps
us employable. These skills largely depend upon emotional quotient (EQ). refers
to the "Capacity for recognizing our own feelings and those of others, for
motivating ourselves and for managing emotions within ourselves and in our
relationships."
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The organizations when identifying talent, gives greatest gravity to skills
with people and leadership. Leaders' greatness is attributed to exemplary
vision, charisma or insatiably powerful ideas. However, the basic underlying
premise is the power to influence emotion. In any field, to be a star
performer, emotional competence is twice as important as cognitive ability.
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The emotional characteristics that distinguish hallmark achievers from mediocre
ones are prescribed by a senior psychologist from Harvard, as: accuracy with a
clear understanding of self; self-confidence; self-control; motivation and
commitment.
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Self-confidence is the prerequisite of superior performance. The ability to say
'no' to impulsive emotions, to stay unflappable in times of pressure are the
requisites of survival in the present corporate matrix. Motivation creates
flow. Flow offers a radical alternative to the widely held ideas about what
motivates people at work though incentives matter a lot.
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A sense of commitment once fostered enables an employee to align personal goals
with those of the organization, even willing to sacrifice to meet the
organizational vision. The radar of leadership is empathy, which is the base of
social competencies important for work. This includes understanding others,
sensing their feelings and taking an active interest in their concerns.
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Listening is the heart of empathy. The first step is giving the impression of
being open to people with an 'open door' policy embody this competence. People
who are easy to talk to often get to hear more. In addition, when such empathy
is suffused with integrity, it can prove to be a powerful motivating factor.
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It is imperative to acknowledge and reward the people's strength and
commitments, challenge and foster leadership skills. All great leaders are
skilled at winning people over and often use complex strategies like indirect
influence to build consensus and support.
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In an era of corporate diversity, emotional competence is the trait that is
needed most of all. The understanding and creation of an ideal self is the
first step towards achieving emotional competence. The next important objective
is taking stock of one's real self, a balance sheet of one's strengths and
weaknesses. A leader must also set goals. The planning method adopted to
achieve these goals must also be flexible.
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To drive and develop emotional competence in people, the importance of people
who help along the way cannot be underestimated. We draw on others at every
step - from defining ourselves to the final appraisal that affirms our
progress. It may not be out of place to link the observation to the doctrine of
Yogic philosophy or 'Mind Discipline', since the mind is the composition of
four faculties: 'Manas'- the ability to rationalize; 'Buddhi' or the intellect;
'Chitta' or the conscious mind and 'Ahamkara' or the ego.
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