Q: Are there growth stages defined regarding emotional intelligence? I’m thinking about Erikson, Maslow, Kohlberg and so on. The question therefore looks to understanding how early parenting and education might impact the development of mature emotional intelligence and what might lead us to a better understanding/development of creative emotional qualities. A: Yes, the stages are… Read more »

Q: I ran across a site citing you as saying “positive work environments outperform negative work environments.” Do you have any research or studies that support this? A. I wouldn’t put it exactly that way. You need to be more specific about what you mean by “positive” and “negative”. For example, in my books I’ve… Read more »

Q: My industry has a severe shortage of engineers, especially locally. Our recruiting difficulties have caused me to consider making my company a “virtual office,” so that I can recruit the top engineers from around the country without having to overcome the large hurdle of relocation. I’ve read what you’ve written about the emotional barrenness… Read more »

Q: Are people who go along to get along unethical? Meaning practicing avoidance. It depends. There is much to be said for a spirit of cooperation, and getting along – top-performing teams, for example, thrive on harmony. On the other hand, when this means turning a blind eye to major ethical wrongs, then avoiding action… Read more »

Q: Is it possible to measure a leader’s EI from a follower’s perspective? Which is the suitable survey for a leader’s EI? A: Getting followers’ reports on a leader is one of the best ways to guage her performance. Even if objective metrics like hitting quarterly numbers look good, how a leader hits the target… Read more »

Q: I have read 3 of your books and I am writing my graphic design thesis investigating my “design emotional maturity” and how it will help me to overcome my fears in order to create better communication work. How can our emotional intelligence affect our performance as a designer? A: The answer is in your… Read more »

Q: What has motivated you to accomplish so much in your lifetime? I am doing a short presentation focusing on bringing your name from the text book to real life, so any interesting facts from your childhood till now would be greatly appreciated. A: I credit much of my motivating drive to my parents, both… Read more »

Q: I am currently doing a research on Howard Gardner’s multiple intelligences and I hope to ask if you feel that the identification of Intrapersonal and Interpersonal Intelligences in Gardner’s theory is, in essence, Emotional Intelligence? A: Yes. When I wrote Emotional Intelligence, I was building on Howard Gardner’s model of multiple intelligence. As I… Read more »

Q: Is there a danger of teaching social and emotional issues to young children aged 4 to 7? I am wondering if they are developed enough to understand and isn’t there a danger of socializing impressionable minds and how do you teach when there are so many cultures in each class? A: No danger, if… Read more »

Q: If psychopaths are people who can’t experience emotion or have low levels of emotional response, are there people with inappropriately high levels of emotional response? A: One place way psychology categorizes people who have inappropriately high levels of emotional response is in terms of the “affective disorders,” like depression and anxiety. Both diagnoses refer… Read more »