Wednesday 16 October 2013

Emotional Intelligence and War and Peace

Want to understand Emotional Intelligence? Read War and Peace.

IQ = Intelligence quotient.  The ability to complete a task based on information you have.
EQ = Emotional quotient.  The skills most needed to survive as a human being, experience life to the full and be highly positively impactive on those around you.

‘Prince Vasili always spoke languidly, like an actor repeating a stale part.  Anna Pavlovna Scherer on the contrary, despite her 40 years, overflowed with animation and impulsiveness.  To be an enthusiast had become her social vocation and, sometimes even when she did not feel like it, she became enthusiastic in order not to disappoint the expectations of those who knew her.’ 

So is set the scene at the audacious Russian royal court in Leo Tolstoy’s epic and colossal novel ‘War and Peace’.  If my English teacher (hope she isn’t reading this somewhere) set the task, in 500 words or less explain Tolstoy’s understanding of how the main characters primed themselves for war with France?  Answer Prince Vasili wasn’t bothered and Anna Pavlovna Scherer pretended everything was alright, the end.  (Sorry Mrs Cameron).  In slight digression to this and as the novel moves on it retains little surprise that Napoleon Bonaparte wasn’t a man to be trifled with or trusted, so being overly underwhelmed or overly enthusiastic may not have been the best leadership formula.  What (I believe) the reality of Tolstoy’s work had unwittingly uncovered was that strong Emotional Intelligence (EQ) is the greatest asset in leadership in any era and Anna displays it magnificently; she was enthusiastic even when she did not feel like it and in order not to disappoint others.

This trait in leaders is stark throughout history and is prevalent in todays’ greatest.  Emotional Intelligence is the ability to recognise and understand one’s own emotions and their effect on others, how to manage those feelings and add to your general happiness and well-being.  Emotion is often referred to as coming from the heart, the signal received by the brain from the heart is the most powerful signal in the body.  The electro-magnetic field produced by the heart is five thousand times greater in strength than the field generated by the brain.

It therefore translates that the happier we are the more effective we become; place that into a business environment and observe:
 
·         Changes in performance
·         Reduction in recruitment
·         Increase in talent
·         Inclusion, innovation and creativity
·         Excellent customer service and feedback
·         Lower stress/ sickness/absenteeism
·         And beyond
 
If only we could measure someone’s emotional intelligence before we recruit them, promote them, delegate to them etc. and yes of course we can.  What is your recruitment cost?  If you could save 10% what does it look like now?  No, the reality is not 10%, it is at least 70% if you profile your candidates properly, what does that look like now?  And then some, because what are the re training costs?  Customer re engagement costs?  You can identify the most emotionally suited people to your organisation in any circumstances.  Or, let’s ask Tolstoy if everyone in your business wanted to be there, was happy to be there and was optimistic about the future; what would that look like?


Here is another essential time saving device.  War and Peace has 1,400 pages and over 560,000 words.  Below is my prĂ©cis:

The French invaded Russia, five Russian families tell the story, eventually Bonaparte was kicked out because it was too cold and they wrote an overture to celebrate.  Move on we’ve got some excellent people to recruit.

If IQ is the technical, then EQ is the edge. 

“The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a faithful servant.  We have created a society that honours the servant and has forgotten the gift.”
Albert Einstein (1879-1955)