Staying Focused

In 1998 the psychologist Daniel Goleman wrote an article for HBR that quickly became a classic. In “What Makes a Leader” he explained that effective managers tend to possess a high level of “emotional intelligence,” a concept that was just then gaining currency. For Goleman, it meant heightened self-awareness, empathy, and other social skills. Moreover, he demonstrated that with sufficient desire and commitment, executives could develop those talents.