My mission is to help leaders create high-performing teams through emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence is the number one predictor of high performance. Studies indicate that emotional intelligence accounts for up to 90% of leadership effectiveness.
In my own work as a coach and before that, as an entrepreneur, I’ve seen the difference emotional intelligence skills make in to improve team performance. I know how frustrating it is when errors happen far too frequently, when they lack key skills, when they get distracted by conflict. I’m a former entrepreneur and I’ve been there. I know how it feels when people don’t perform they way I had hoped they would.
I was first to market starting up a company to bring reusable grocery bags to the US. As a high school English teacher, I spent my first year in business standing on the staircase overlooking the faculty parking lot cold-calling. I sold a quarter of a million bags. So, I quit teaching and in my second year, I sold 2 million bags. In my third year, I sold 8 million bags and became a top nationwide supplier. I stayed at the top for over 12 years, managed key accounts, a global supply chain, marketing and financials, and then I sold the business.
To be sure, I made leadership mistakes. When I started out, I used a classic command-and-control leadership style, I told my team what to do. In response, they waited around for me to tell them what to do. I didn’t want to micromanage them, but they didn’t do much of anything unless they had a directive from me. Productivity and morale were low. Frustration and turnover were high.
So, I stopped being a boss and decided to become a leader. I listened more than I talked. I empathized with my team’s problems and believed in them to solve them. I dedicated myself to their success. Performance soared.
After I sold the company, I published a book about my experience and gave a TEDx Talk. I became a coach to help other people find the same success I did by developing emotional intelligence skills.
I’ll assess your team and company culture, and help you develop a customized plan to increase your organization’s overall performance.
Here’s what I learned as an entrepreneur: acting like a leader initiates a cycle of trust, leading to high performance. Acting like a boss initiates a cycle of mistrust, leading to stagnation and low morale.
Looking back, I’d rather be a leader than a boss any day. If you want to start being a leader right now, read my article in Forbes.
Now I put my leadership and emotional intelligence experience to work in service of my clients, helping them become high impact, high performing leaders.