Conclusion Bolstered by the compelling data that "soft skills" produce "hard results," some leaders are taking the challenge to create more robust, vigorous organizations -- not through bricks and mortar, but by investing in people. In an era of unprecedented business challenge, these skills matter like never before. In the words of Doug Lennick, VP of American Express Financial Advisors (now Ameriprise), emotional intelligence is the breakthrough ingredient for leaders committed to sustainable success: "Emotional competence is the single most important personal quality that each of us must develop and access to experience a breakthrough." 63 Perhaps the best news: Many of the companies experiencing powerful results from EQ have done so with a modest investment of time and money. The American Express Financial Advisors project started with 12 hours of training. The Sheraton turn-around included under 24 hours of EQ training. The Air Force project cost around $10,000 in assessments. In other words, improving organizational EQ is within reach – and the return far exceeds the investment. Leaders are learning that emotional intelligence isn't just a new label for sales techniques or a repackaging of feel-good aphorism -- they're coming to recognize emotional intelligence as a core skill-set, grounded in science, that underlies performance, and they're committing to bring these assets on board. As Andrea Jung, Chair and CEO of Avon Products, says “Emotional intelligence is in our DNA here at Avon because relationships are critical at every stage of our business.” 64 With over $8 billion in sales and $1.2 billion in profits, 65 Jung is talking about an impressive strand of "DNA." The bottom line: EQ is a Blue Chip investment.
Emotions Drive People :: People Drive Performance
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