Respond to at least (2) two of your colleagues' postings “see below” that contain a perspective other than yours

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Respond to at least (2) two of your colleagues' postings “see below” that contain a perspective other than yours. Please ensure your response to your colleagues addresses concerns listed below:

· Share an insight about what you learned from having read your colleagues’ postings and discuss how and why your colleague’s posting resonated with you professionally and personally.

· Offer an example from your experience or observation that validates what your colleague discussed.

· Offer specific suggestions that will help your colleague build upon his or her perceptions as a leader.

· Offer further assessment from having read your colleague’s post that could impact a leader’s effectiveness.

· Share how something your colleague discussed changed the way you consider your own leadership qualities.

· No plagiarism

· APA citing

1st Colleagues - Natasha Mills 

RE: Discussion 2 - Week 7

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Goleman’s Three Types of Focus

In order to understand what Goleman means by the statement “leaders need all three types of focus-in full strength and in balance- in order to perform optimally”, it is first vital to identify the three types of focus that Goleman is referring to in the statement. They include self-awareness, awareness of other people, and an outer focus either of an organization or the industry (Christensen, 2014). Goleman posits that these three types of focus are interwoven, and a leader’s ability to balance them all assures his/her effectiveness.

For instance, self-awareness, which translates to being able to manage one’s emotions, makes it easy for a leader to be aware of other people, which further leads to a wider form of awareness, which is that of the broader system. From this perspective, the need for a leader to have all these types of focus in full strength and in balance becomes apparent. This is because leaders do not lead themselves, which means that having self-awareness only is not enough to make them effective (Goleman & Boyatzis, 2008). Therefore, they need an additional focus to enable them to lead other people. This is where the awareness of other people comes, to elevate the leader’s effectiveness.

Lastly, organizations operate within a broader system. As a result, leaders need to be aware of the events happening in this broader system. This significantly helps my understanding of what Goleman means by the above statement. I intend to apply these three types of focus in my leadership by seeking to know and understand myself in terms of my strengths and weaknesses and how they affect my leadership roles. After that, I will seek to understand others based on our interactions to help me become more empathetic and emotionally intelligent, before moving on to having an awareness of the broader system.

 Meaning of Neural Hijack

A neural hijack, according to Goleman, is the brain’s reaction to things it perceives as a threat. It is the fight or flight response that the brain elicits when elements of fear, impulse, anger, distress, or anxiety are triggered. The most common signs of a neural hijack in an individual include loss of temper, an outburst, or being upset (Christensen, 2014). Goleman argues that a neural hijack occurs when the brain declares a state of emergency based on what it perceives of a situation. In some cases, this declaration of an emergency occurs even when there is no emergency situation.

When leaders experience a neural hijack, they can either talk themselves out of it or adopt mindfulness. I have experienced a neural hijack when a colleague made a comment on the approach I adopted during the completion of a task. My brain declared it an emergency situation since I interpreted the comment as criticism, which caused me to be upset. However, it was not an emergency situation because the colleague was only trying to help me see the possible ways the approach could have jeopardized the efficiency of the task. I talked myself out of the neural hijack when it occurred. However, I intend to adopt mindfulness to help me overcome neural hijacks better in future because mindfulness helps in the development of non-reactive and non-judgmental feelings and thoughts.

How the Elements Affect My Ability to Manage Situations

Goleman states that whereas IQ is essential for a leader’s effectiveness, emotional intelligence carries a more significant impact. Therefore, a mastery and the subsequent application of the various elements of emotional intelligence will positively impact my ability to manage situations as an effective and ethical leader (Krén & Séllei, 2021). As Goleman puts it, the human brain is an open-loop system that manages self-based on external sources. At the same time, leaders are often impacting other people’s brain states.

Therefore, being effective and ethical as a leader while accomplishing these roles requires the elements of emotional intelligence. Concepts such as the three elements of focus, how to overcome neural hijacks, and the different aspects of emotional intelligence are critical in the development of connections and relationships between a leader and his/her followers (Christensen, 2014). These connections and relationships are the prerequisites for effective and ethical leadership.  

Christensen, K. (2014, Winter). Thought leader interview: Daniel Goleman. Rotman Management Magazine.

Goleman, D., & Boyatzis, R. (2008). Social intelligence and the biology of leadership. Harvard business review, 86(9), 74-81.

Krén, H., & Séllei, B. (2021). The Role of Emotional Intelligence in Organizational Performance. Periodica Polytechnica Social and Management Sciences, 29(1), 1-9.

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2nd Colleagues - Cara Telleysh 

RE: Discussion 2 - Week 7

 

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At times, when managing projects, I can lose my ability to focus. If not careful, this can determine the success or failure of a project. My position as Project Manager has evolved. At first, it was more of a support role. Now it provides leadership, direction, support, and value to multiple stakeholders in the organization. However, I still find people lack an understanding of why project management is essential in our company. Often it is viewed as simple, straightforward tasks needing to get done. Goleman says, to ensure projects are delivered on time and with quality, there is a need to pay attention in the right way at the right time. (Christiansen, 2014, p. 10). Therefore, it is my responsibility to understand the impact my lack of focus has on others and communicate effectively to alleviate this.

 

For example, my company hosts an Annual Black-Tie Gala. My responsibility is to register eight hundred distinguished community leaders and their guests. As a team leader, my role requires focus and the skills to pay attention to the details. During the training period, there were a few times my concentration fell short. Being new, I experienced a "neural hijack." Goleman also says it is the brain's radar for threat and the trigger point for emotional distress, anger, impulse, and fear". (Christiansen, 2014, p. 13). While playing sports most of my life, invaluable life lessons were taught and apply to just about anything. One is that you will not always win. When faced with this, I learned to take deep breaths and think about what I would say before saying it. Doing so alleviated me from visually expressing my emotions. Goleman supports this strategy. He says another remedy is mindfulness which is having an awareness that is not judgemental and non-reactive to whatever thoughts or feelings arise in your mind. (Christansen, 2014. P. 13). Both of these methods take practice, and my experiences lead me to agree with him that this leadership skill is essential. 

 

Emotional Intelligence seems to be a necessary skill that leaders need to have. By paying attention to ourselves and managing our emotions, it is clear that we can create cohesive teams that trust each other, ultimately increasing productivity. These achievements align with the expectations of my team and me. Therefore, I look forward to practicing and improving upon these skills.