Timothy Pascoe - date: 2011/04/26 09:03 am

Dear Joseph,

Like you, I've tried to seek balance between EQ and IQ. I find that as I've gotten older, I've tended to give more emphasis to my relational actions. Becoming human at last??

Timothy

Joseph Mullin, MBA Principal - date: 2011/04/26 06:55 am

Timothy,
Having been a fellow engineer and reviewing your list I have always tried to keep a balance between the two. I feel sometimes I may have leaned towards relation more than technical with better results than those that managed me. I feel this may have been a small part of why I was promoted as I think it instilled a fear in those above me. Just my humble opinion.

Timothy Pascoe - date: 2011/04/11 07:51 am

Dear Keith,

Thanks for your comment - really worthwhile.

You're right about trust being fundamental. The one gloss I'd repeat is that from my experience trust depends on both the EQ and also IQ factors. In many businesses situations, team members lose trust if you're not competent - whether in terms of technical proficienct, being up-to-date on market developments or just conscious of where industry trends are heading.

Best - and again thank you,

Timothy

Keith Flanagan - date: 2011/04/10 06:47 pm

Dear Dr Timothy,

As a strong advocate of EI/EQ, I'm encouraged to read the importance you've attached to Relationship-based leadership. For me, leadership is about trust as are all relationships where influence is required. Without trust, followers will soon dissent and seek authentic leadership elsewhere.

I look forward to reading more of your Potshots.

Kind regards,

Keith

Timothy Pascoe - date: 2011/04/08 07:07 am

Dear Percival,

Many thanks for your comment.

I like the quote you cite: technical knowledge will take you so far, and emotional intelligence is what will take you to the top. In general, I agree.

My only qualifier would be that at every new leadership level, there is also new technology to learn and master. For example, a CEO needs to understand and be proficient in aspects of communications and media that a lower-level leader might not similarly, he or she has to become proficient in dealing with broader economic and financial issues (and opportunities) relating to their business, its competitive positioning and its place in the capital markets.

So, yes, the people factor looms larger and larger as you rise. But, equally, you need to keep acquiring relevant technical skills.

In the final analysis, for me, it all about achieving the right balance.

Best wishes and again thank you.

Timothy

Percival Uwechue - date: 2011/04/07 08:35 pm

You do it again Dr.Tim,

when,like you, my realization came home, it hit HARD, and the beauty like you say, was me finding a mentor to coach me through the hard part.

I have resolved and made it a part of my job and style to share my learnings with my reports.

a facilitator at my alma mater once said" technical knowledge will take you so far, and emotional intelligence is what will take you to the top", at the top, you must be environmentally aware and switched on.

Again, culture is a guilty party in this situation where length of service arrogates leadership/seniority if you please, without the emotional quotient developed/ developing at the same rate or speed.

leadership I posit, should be encouraged from very early in ones career team leader/supervisory roles, and documented/evaluated evidence of how mentoring is made a part of development process in ones career.

thanks once again for a thought provoking piece.

Timothy Pascoe - date: 2011/04/06 07:22 am

Dear Phadke,

Thanks for you comment.

Your experience in India certainly reinforces experience elsewhere: the technocratic mindset is universal. I don't think any country has a monopoly.

I would also add that there is a technology in each and every professional field. We expect and understand this intuitively in engineering and other overtly scientific disciplines. However, even the so-called "softer" funtions such as HR,PR and CRM come with their own assumptions, constructs and languages. From my observation, people with these backgrounds often need to invest more effort in understanding the technical aspects of business - if they are to lead/influence people working in production, IT or other technical areas.

Practitioners in all fields run the risk of being blinded by the paradigms and approaches of their own training and experiences.

Best wishes and again thank you.

Timothy

Phadke Subodhkumar Narayan - date: 2011/04/04 08:21 pm

Namaste Dr. Timothy Sir,

This is an outstanding peace of information. Trust me and I mean it.

Last many years I have been associated & offering my professional services to many companies that were promoted by technocrats. It was a tough task & it is tough too.

I never realised (the way I realised at my end) how come so much learned, gold medalists, etc. technocrats do not understand other aspects of business like HR, HR policies, CRM, PR, etc.

But today, I found the answer and I am going to share this valuable document with all those employers as well as other friends/efriends.

Thank you so much for unveiling this aspect of business which do matters to all those business owners who started business out of technical domain knowledge and not having other knowledge like sales, marketing, branding, support, service, HR, etc.

Thank you so much once again. Thanks a lot for keeping my email ID in to your trust circle.

Sincerely I remain,

Phadke S. N.
City: Pune
State: Maharashtra
Country: India
Date: 4th April, 2011
Time: 1530 Hrs.
Day: Monday