Top 10 Things Classy People Do

Napoleon, who said, "Respect the people you deliver."

From today's email bag:

I have just finished reading your piece on "The Top 10 Things Classy People Do That Show You They Have Class", and can say nothing but thank you for the finesse and definite class you must have for being aware of these lovely details.

I would like though to know if you agree with me that a Classy Person carries the burden of other's misconduct and misbehavior consequences paricularly that He/She is "Sensitive" and keen on not "Airing His/Her Dirty Linen In Public".

Happy New Year 2009.

Sincerely, Nadim T.

Answer: If I interpret this question correctly, for sure a classy person "covers up" for others, or, as you put it, carries the burden of other's misconduct and misbehavior. It's similar to the Asian concept of "saving face." For instance, if your boss steps in a trash can and falls over, you distract people, don't mention it, or blame it on the trash can, i.e., "I KNEW that trash can was going to cause trouble."

The essence of etiquette is making the other person comfortable. Sometimes in spite of what they are doing.

Good leaders for instance, like good football coaches, take the blame for failures on themselves, and give the credit for the successes to "the team."

It was Napoleon Bonaparte who said: "Respect the people you deliver."

See my Top 10 EQ Leadership Tips from Napoleon Bonaparte".

Great Leaders have Emotional Intelligence

Jumping on the Bandwagon, the Executive Leadership 360 Feedback Survey will now include emotional intelligence segments. According to their recent press realease, the ELS was created in 1989. The press release, The Booth Company Releases Updated Executive Leadership 360 Feedback Survey states that the "responsiblities of executives have evolved significantly since the ELS was created in 1989."

Well, probably not. Great leadership is still great leadership -- the same now as it has always been, and emotional intelligence has always been an integral part of it. It's just businesses recognizing the important of addressing, measuring and valuing it that has lagged.

Great leadership is what it always has been - see my articles on Napoleon, Peter the Great and others. It is heartening to see emotional intelligence being recognized. It will be even more heartening when adjectives such as "interesting model" are dispensed with. Great leadership is emotional intelligence in action.

From the article:

The everyday responsibilities of executives have evolved significantly since the ELS was created in 1989. Recent technological developments have led to greater amounts of communication, requiring executives to make decisions more frequently and within shorter timeframes.

Taking this into account, The Booth Company has included three new dimensions in the new
ELS: "Awareness of Others," "Self-Awareness" and "Self Management." These additions allow the executive to receive confidential feedback regarding his or her abilities to professionally interact with others, master personal impulses, and make rational choices in situations that often involve pressure and disagreement.

Evaluating such competencies has become an increasingly common industry practice in recent years, typically under the label of "emotional intelligence." Known as "E.Q." (Emotional Intelligence Quotient) - primarily to differentiate it from the more traditional intelligence assessment, I.Q. (Intelligence Quotient) - emotional intelligence provides an interesting model to assess interpersonal leadership skills and rationality in pressured decision-making
situations.

For the complete press release, go here: The Booth Company Releases Updated Executive Leadership 360 Feedback Survey

To increase your emotional intelligene, email me at sdunn@susandunn.cc for coaching, Internet courses, and ebooks. Take THE EQ COURSE online.