Mastering Emotional Intelligence
A Thinking Leader’s Guide
How to Lead with EQ Without Sacrificing Critical Thought
Duration: 3 hours | Format: Workshop (In-person/virtual) | Level: Leaders & Teams
Lesson Overview
Objective:
Develop EQ’s four core competencies (self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship management) through:
Life Competencies (Communication, Collaboration, Learning to Learn)
Critical Thinking Skills (Analysis, Bias Recognition, Inference)
AIM Framework (Structured action-planning)
Key Question:
How can you balance empathy and logic to make better decisions?
Part 1: EQ Foundations (45 min)
A. Warm-Up: The EQ Dilemma
Activity:
Watch a 2-min video of a leader failing to address team conflict.
Prompt: Which EQ competency was missing? What would AIM recommend?
B. The EQ + AIM Matrix
Example:
Social Awareness (EQ) + Social Responsibility (Life) = Assessing cultural biases before decisions (AIM: Assess).
Part 2. Skill Labs (90 min)
Lab 1: Self-Awareness Through AIM
Case: The Blind Spot Leader
A manager receives negative 360° feedback but dismisses it as "irrelevant."
AIM Steps:
Assess: Compare feedback patterns to self-perception.
Identify: "Is my defensiveness a bias (e.g., self-serving bias)?"
Make: Schedule coaching + track behavior changes.
Tool: Johari Window Worksheet to map known/unknown strengths/weaknesses.
Lab 2: Social Awareness Across Cultures
Case: The Silent Yes
A U.S. leader misinterprets Japanese team’s silence as agreement.
Critical Thinking Focus:
Evaluation: "How do cultural norms shape ‘consent’?"
Bias Recognition: "Am I projecting my own cultural lens?"
AIM Action:
Assess: Research high-context vs. low-context cultures.
Make: Implement "check-in rounds" to ensure clarity.
Activity: Role-play giving feedback in high/low-context styles.
Lab 3: Relationship Management Under Pressure
Scenario: The Hostile Takeover
A merger sparks team distrust.
EQ + Critical Thinking Combo:
Inference: "What unspoken fears drive resistance?"
Problem-Solving: Co-create a "transition charter" (Collaboration).
AIM Tool: Stakeholder Empathy Map (Assess needs/concerns).
Part 3: EQ Action Blueprint (45 min)
A. Personal EQ Audit
Worksheet:
B. Pitfall Discussion
Small Groups Debate:
When can EQ backfire? (e.g., over-empathizing delays decisions).
Critical Thinking Guardrail: Use Pro/Con Table to balance empathy and efficiency.
Materials Provided
EQ + AIM Cheatsheet
Lists all 4 competencies with aligned tools (e.g., Self-Management → Pomodoro Technique + Bias Checklist).
Case Study Pack
Includes multicultural scenarios and conflict simulations.
Slides
Interactive EQ self-assessment sliders.
Animated AIM flowcharts.
Assessment & Application
Certification Task:
Submit a recorded role-play showing:
Using AIM to address an EQ gap (e.g., calming an emotional team member).
Explaining your critical thinking process.
Grading Rubric:
Why This Works
Balanced: Prevents "EQ overreach" by pairing empathy with critical analysis.
Actionable: Every competency links to concrete AIM steps.
Cultural: Addresses real-world complexities (e.g., silence ≠ agreement).
Adaptations:
For Educators: Add a "Teen EQ" module with peer mediation scripts.
For Healthcare: Use patient-care scenarios.
