EGO vs. EQ

July 29, 2013
As much as employees would like to speak freely to their CEOs, most bite their tongues and tell their leaders exactly what they want to hear. Shirkani, a longtime coach, consultant, and founder and CEO of the Penumbra Group, explores the blind spots that this lack of candor creates for CEOs and the eight ensuing “ego traps” that hinder their performance. The remedy for such traps is emotional intelligence (EQ), “the capacity for self-awareness, empathy, social skills, and self-regulation”—a skill set that CEOs must possess to succeed and thrive. EQ counters such ego-driven problems as ignoring feedback you don’t like, not relinquishing control, and underestimating how much you are being watched. The author helps readers break free of these traps, and she closes each chapter with three actionable R’s (recognize, read, and respond), which help develop new EQ-based behavior. She also explores other traps, such as believing that technology skills trump leadership skills, or falling back into old bad habits. Shirkani’s examples effectively show that even the most successful executives fall victim to ego traps. By embracing their EQ, company leaders can avoid the isolation pitfalls that hinder successful management careers.