The New Leaders

Psychologist Daniel Goleman is best known for his book Emotional Intelligence. This was a bestseller and EI became a buzzword for many in the world of management. Goleman's thesis is basically that our self-awareness, personal motivation and ability to relate to others are more important than the narrow 'raw' intelligence which is measured by IQ tests. In this book he joins forces with two academics to explore the consequences of emotional intelligence for leaders and organizations. The contents are largely anecdotal, with many examples about the manner and style of leaders from businesses large and small. Goleman recaps his basic thesis and, with his co-authors, demonstrates its applicability to methods of leadership. The emphasis here is on the practical and on implementation: the subtitle of the book is Transforming the Art of Leadership into the Science of Results. The focus is on senior people, but the principles are applicable to any manager. The authors write well and the examples used make their general argument clear. Though the reader may be left with a feeling that Goleman's thesis is largely common sense, common sense is not always so common and the authors cover enough different issues for this to be a useful and thought-provoking book.