To overcome emotional attachment to projects, turn each of 200+ initiatives into a playable card with stats. By getting the senior team to play a game, they naturally discard the "weaker" projects, painlessly culling the list without emotional debate.
A company spent millions on two consulting firms to fix a warehousing issue caused by overproduction. The root problem wasn't forecasting or processes; it was two departments not communicating. Teaching them to talk face-to-face solved 90% of the problem instantly.
Inspired by Apple Stores placing iPads crooked to encourage touch, consultants should present strategies with minor flaws. This invites senior teams to "straighten" the plan, creating a feeling of ownership that makes them five times more likely to embrace and execute it.
A key sign of low EQ is a skewed talk-to-listen ratio. By recording a meeting and showing a leader they spoke 68% of the time—not their estimated 10%—you can prove they aren't creating space for others' input, a tangible first step toward coaching improvement.
Optimize feedback's psychological impact. Deliver negative feedback verbally and in-person to avoid misinterpretation of tone. Follow up on positive feedback in writing, even if delivered verbally, because people cherish and share written praise with friends and family, amplifying its effect.
Success is a product of intelligence (IQ), emotional intelligence (EQ), and focus (FQ). Former McKinsey strategist Faris Aranki argues that since these factors multiply, a weakness in any one area will undermine the entire effort, explaining why many well-researched strategies fail.
To choose a more effective path, ask, "What would my nemesis do?" This mental model, used by Olympian Daley Thompson, forces you to upgrade your approach. Instead of writing a passive email, your nemesis would pick up the phone, securing a faster, better outcome.
Most leaders focus on broadcasting their message. Emotionally intelligent leaders focus on reception, recognizing that one sentence can be interpreted in eight different ways by eight people. They close the loop by asking, "What did you understand from what I just said?" to ensure true alignment.