WHY WE LOVE IT:

In Primal Leadership, authors Goleman, Boyatzis, and McKee explore the theory of emotional intelligence – empathy, self-awareness, and maturity – and their financial performance. Their research shows that overwhelmingly, the “good guys” finish first. Those who have followed the wild rollercoaster ride of X (formerly Twitter) since its purchase in 2022 will see that cautionary tale reflected between the lines of every page of this book. Of all the elements impacting a company’s performance, the CEO’s mood and behavior are the most important. A cranky, ruthless, or unpredictable boss creates a toxic environment with high churn, low performance, and missed deadlines. But on the flip side? An inspirational, approachable, and inclusive leader engenders loyalty, high achievement, and innovation.

It is nearly impossible to overestimate the impact of a leader’s “emotional style” – the way their emotional intelligence manifests in the workplace. Leaders with high levels of emotional intelligence can be identified in almost every innovative brand. That is because they naturally champion integrity, trust, open information sharing, learning, and healthy risk-taking. Leaders who demonstrate a toxic, demanding emotional style create workplaces rife with anxiety and suspicion. And while terrified employees can be highly productive in the short term, they burn out or become abusive quickly, impairing the productivity of the organization as a whole.

Managing your emotional output and behavior is not easy, of course. The authors suggest that emotionally intelligent leadership requires more than The implication is that Primal Leadership demands more than putting on a game face every day. It requires honest self-reflection, accountability, open lines of communication, and the willingness to accept feedback and be willing to change. That’s a game plan we can get behind.

FAVORITE QUOTES:

“Visionary leaders help people to see how their work fits into the big picture, lending people a clear sense not just that what they do matters, but also why.” – Daniel Goleman

“When people feel good, they work at their best. Feeling good lubricates mental efficiency, making people better at understanding information and using decision rules in complex judgments, as well as more flexible in their thinking.” – Daniel Goleman

BOOK JACKET SUMMARY:

Managers and professionals across the globe have embraced Primal Leadership, affirming the importance of emotionally intelligent leadership. Its influence has also reached well beyond the business world: the book and its ideas are now used routinely in universities, business and medical schools, and professional training programs, and by a growing legion of professional coaches. This refreshed edition, with a new preface by the authors, vividly illustrates the power and the necessity of leadership that is self-aware, empathic, motivating, and collaborative in a world that is ever more economically volatile and technologically complex. It is even timelier now than when it was originally published.