Primal Leadership
Acting As A Leader In A Way That Primes Positive Emotions In People
What Is Primal Leadership?
Primal leadership is the business application of "Emotional Intelligence".
It is the capacity of the leader to rouse and focus strong positive emotions in their followers and focus that energy on a specific direction.
A modern example of this was the speech given by Col. Tim Collins'
speech to 1 Battalion, Royal Irish Regiment, on 19 March 2003, immediately
prior to the invasion of Iraq.
This is the emotional dimension of leadership. It is about the leader’s ability to frame and deliver a message that resonates with their followers’ emotional reality and sense of purpose, and it motivates them to take action in a specific direction.
Daniel Goleman, Richard Boyatzis & Annie McKee in 2002, introduced the concept in a book of that name which was updated in 2013: Primal Leadership, With a New Preface by the Authors: Unleashing the Power of Emotional Intelligence
The Importance Of Primal Leadership
In an article in the Dec 2001 edition of the Harvard Business Review, Primal Leadership: The Hidden Driver of Great Performance Daniel Goleman introduces the concept and outlines research that he and his team conducted in a study of 3,871 executives and their direct reports and it shows that HOW a leader leads in terms of the emotional resonance they do or don’t generate matters for 2 reasons:
In the current climate of uncertainty people need leadership that offers a measure of re-assurance and certainty of conviction about the direction in which they are being led.
This is important because people cannot work effectively if they are experiencing emotional turbulence. Their ability to get work done depends on their emotions being under control. A leader has to address those often unconscious and unexpressed fears along the way in order to help people keep them under control.
As Goleman said:
"In the modern organization, this primordial emotional task—though by now largely invisible—remains foremost among the many jobs of leadership: driving the collective emotions in a positive direction and clearing the smog, created by toxic emotions. This task applies to leadership everywhere, from the boardroom to the shop floor."
How The Leaders Emotions Infect The Organisation – The Importance Of Resonance
The central finding of EI research is that emotions are essentially contagious, and thus a leader's attitude and energy can "infect" a workplace either for better or for worse
With this in mind the authors stress the importance of resonance, which is the ability of leaders to perceive and influence the flow of emotions (including motivational states) between themselves and others they work with.
One of the keys to achieving resonance is empathic listening.
[See “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People” by Stephen Covey]
Emotions are contagious - from the top down
In an interview [with Stephen Bernhut in "Leaders Edge", Ivey Business Journal May/June 2002] Daniel Goleman said:
"First, you have to reach within yourself to find out your own truth, because you can’t be resonant if you’re clueless, if you’re pretending, or if you’re just trying to manipulate people.
You have to speak from your heart, and you have to do it in a way that speaks to other people’s hearts. So it takes authenticity. And if you can articulate a positive goal, that is, stay optimistic, enthusiastic and motivated in delivering that message, then what you’re doing is spreading that message and those moods and predisposition to the people you’re talking to.
Self awareness and the 4 building blocks of primal leadership
The 4 building blocks of primal leadership are:
(1) Self-awareness
(2) Self-mastery [or self-management of emotion]
(3) Empathy or social awareness
(4) Relationship management
How Does Primal Leadership Align With The Themes Of This Site?
Here are a number of touch points
Organisational Change -Return to: Define Leadership
Personal Change - Return to: Managing Personal Change
LATEST ARTICLES
The Dopamine Delusion - Why Anticipation Beats Achievement
The thrill we feel is not in the having, but in the wanting. The more we have, the more we want. The more things we acquire and the easier things get for us, the more discontent we feel. The more spo…The Power Of Silence Is Experienced In Your Use Of Language
Practise the "Beneficial Neurological Delay" for optimal comprehension. The power of silence is experienced in your use of language, specifically: - How you formulate the words you use to think and in…Dealing With Setbacks - 5 Questions To Help You Face Discomfort
How To Counter The Cognitive Shock Of A Setback. Setbacks challenge your instinctual desire for control and comfort, making it unnatural to respond with calm or acceptance. The reason for these instin…Why Praxis Is The Key To Living A Successful And Stress Free Life
Praxis Is The Process Of Taking Informed Action To take informed action you need to be prepared with information, knowledge, education and insight. Informed action is objective action that: - Seeks to…The Power Of Working With The Front Line
How To Exercise Influence Without Authority In Complex Systems I first discovered the power of working with the frontline when I was working as a business troubleshooter on large projects, programmes…Dealing With Distraction - Learning How To Live With Your "Attention Autopilot"
Living With Your Attention Autopilot The good news about your Attention Autopilot is that it will keep you safe. It is continuously scanning your immediate environment for threats. The bad news is tha…The Time Of Your Life - Recognising Moments Of Alignment For Action
How will you recognise your moment of alignment for action? In this article I want to look at our relationship with time and in the context of the two main themes of this site, firstly as a thinking s…The Metagame Approach to Second Order Thinking - 5 Guiding Principles
How To Position Yourself For Survival & Success In A Complex Environment We treat life as though it is a complicated system, and our thinking skills and mental models are focused on understanding its…Outcome Over Optics - Long Game Outcomes Over Short-Term Ego Gains
The Day I Learned To Focus On Outcome Over Optics I have never forgotten the day I learned to focus on outcomes over optics and figured out a very simple way of saving myself several hundred thousand…The ETTO Principle - Why Near Enough Can Be Good Enough
How To Balance the Efficiency-Thoroughness Trade Off The ETTO Principle describes the inherent trade-off between working efficiently and working thoroughly. This trade-off is something that affects…Master The Art Of Drawing The Bow
Focus On Process Not Outcome In so many areas of our lives, we focus on the outcome, not the process that we follow to achieve it. In the western world, we are conditioned to pay less attention to how…And So This Is Christmas
There Is No Path To Peace - The Path Is Peace Thich Nhat Hanh, the renowned Vietnamese Zen Buddhist monk, teacher, and peace activist, often spoke about peace as a state of being that begins within on…Curiosity Skilled The Cat - Optimize For Interesting
Curiosity Fuels Excellence The old adage, “Curiosity killed the cat,” warns of the dangers of venturing too far into the unknown. But what if we reimagine it not as a risk but as a gateway to developi…Let Stillness Speak - Living Within A Complex System
To let stlllness speak is to learn it's first major lesson: you are not your thoughts. To let stillness speak is about stepping back from the constant chatter of your mind and allowing a deeper, quiet…Understanding Complex Systems Thinking - It's Not Complicated
Understanding, and being able to work with, complexity is an important thinking skill.
We are all working with complex systems, and we do so every day. The biggest one is life itself. We automaticall…Stay On The Bus - When To Keep On Going
The Helsinki Bus Station Theory
Have you ever started a new project, initiative or role with a big vision and a determination to make a difference? Initially you were full of enthusiasm and highly mo…Zen Thoughts Email Series
Conversations With A Friend Zen Thoughts is an email series of 50 short messages spread over 3 months. The messages are written in the style of a conversation with a friend who is going through a toug…How to Get What You Value by Changing What You Measure
Give Up Control & Gain Influence To Get What You Want
The metrics we choose to focus on can significantly shape our outcomes, sometimes in ways we don't intend. The challenge is to make sure that you…How to Become A Master At Overcoming Hard Moments
"The best in the world are not the best because they win every point. It's because they lose again and again and have learned how to deal with it." This quote from Roger Federer has got a lot of cover…Drop The Story - Deal With Your Demons and Transform Your Experience
Are you living your life from the stories you tell yourself? Learning how to drop the story and deal with that voice in your head can be a game changer. When you can do this you will have a powerful t…