Image credit: Surian Soosay via Flickr In 1997, Steve Jobs returned to Apple, the company he co-founded, and proceeded to lead one of the most remarkable turnarounds in history. As CEO, he brought Apple back from the brink of bankruptcy, aiding its transformation into the most valuable company on the planet.  All of this success is even more impressive when we consider that, just 12 years earlier, Jobs was forced out of the company he helped build. Jobs had a reputation as brilliant and inspiring--but he was also known to be overbearing, impatient, and petulant. Circumstances had ev ..read more

Photo by Arthur Osipyan on Unsplash "People leave managers, not companies." We've all heard it. Many of us have experienced it. But what makes people want to leave a manager in the first place? And if you happen to lead a team, what qualities can make you better? Those are the types of questions Google set out to answer. In 2008, they began research into what makes a good manager, code-named Project Oxygen. They originally identified eight behaviors that were common among their highest performing managers, and began training all managers to develop those behaviors. Over time, Google saw ..read more

Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash Nowadays, you find references to emotional intelligence everywhere, along with advice as to how sharpening your "EQ" (emotional quotient) can dramatically increase your chances of success. But there's only one question: What is emotional intelligence? Basically, emotional intelligence is the ability to identify, understand, and effectively manage emotions--both your own and those of others.  Of course, we could spend hours talking about what that means. But in my new book, EQ Applied: The Real-World Guide to Emotional Intelligence, I distill ..read more

Howard Durdle recently contacted PayPal to let them know his wife had died and that her credit account should be closed.  Three weeks later, he received an unbelievable response, addressed to his wife. "Dear Mrs Lindsay Durdle," the letter began.  "This is a default notice...You are in breach of condition 15.4(c) of your agreement with PayPal Credit as we have received notice that you are deceased. In accordance with condition 15.4(c), we are entitled to close your account, terminate your agreement and demand repayment of the full amount outstanding." Incredulous, Mr. Durdle shared ..read more

Image credit: Gage Skidmore Our emotions influence practically every decision we make. That's why it's so important to understand emotions and how they work--and learn how to keep them under control. In my new book, EQ Applied: The Real-World Guide to Emotional Intelligence, I outline a series of simple practices that will instantly enhance your ability to manage your emotions, and the emotions of others. Practices like asking yourself the right questions to build self-awareness, or taking a pause in an emotional moment to avoid saying or doing something you might regret.  ..read more

Image credit: Deutsche Bank via flickr The piano scene from Big. I was only 10 years old the first time I watched it. In the film, Tom Hanks plays a young boy who makes a wish "to be big," and then ages to adulthood overnight. Hanks's brilliant performance is exemplified in that two-minute scene, as he demonstrates the power of a great actor to bring an imaginary character to life--and in turn inspire an entire generation to love the movies. That role in Big earned Hanks his first Oscar nomination for best actor, but it wouldn't be his last. In fact, Hanks has gone on to b ..read more

Photo by Catrin Johnson on Unsplash In today's world, there is a constant battle for control of your emotions.  Sometimes this battle rages within--like when you strive to keep balanced, despite negative feelings rising inside of you. Other times it's an external attack--as politicians, companies, and others work to influence you, in an attempt to win your vote, your money...or your mind. For these reasons and more, emotional intelligence--the ability to recognize, understand, and manage both your own emotions and the emotions of others--is more important than ever.  But I ..read more

Photo by Gabriel Matula on Unsplash Anger is an extremely powerful emotion. If you display it constantly, others will avoid you like the plague. On the other hand, keep it bottled up inside and you become a pressure cooker that will inevitably blow its top--leading to actions that you later regret. Emotional intelligence is extremely useful in helping you to deal with anger effectively. Recognizing that you need to choose your battles helps you from becoming overly anxious and possibly burning out. For example, a situation may cause you to become angry because you don't fully understand it.&n ..read more

Image courtesy of Pixabay It began so innocently. A young reader's request for advice went viral, via a blog post on Askamanager.com. The reader had received a summer internship with a company that does work in the individual's desired industry. "Even though the division I was hired to work in doesn't deal with clients or customers, there still was a very strict dress code," the person wrote. "I felt the dress code was overly strict but I wasn't going to say anything, until I noticed one of the workers always wore flat shoes that were made from a fabric other than leather, or r ..read more

Photo by Ellyot on Unsplash It was the summer of 2000, and I was living my dream. I was still in my early 20s, working for a large nonprofit in the heart of New York City, and I'd been appointed to lead a small team. I loved my job; I loved New York. Life was good. But suddenly, everything changed. My department manager, who had become a great mentor, suddenly left. He was replaced by "Jack," the assistant. Jack was the complete opposite of our old boss: He seemed to always focus on the negative, and was extremely difficult to please. I don't think Jack hated us, but we felt that wa ..read more