When we think of leadership, we often think of strength and power. But what are these really, and how do they operate?
Leadership today is not about forcing others to do things. If this is even possible, it is short-term, and tends to backfire. If you order someone to do something against their will, they may do it because they feel they must, but the anger they feel will do more harm in the long-term. They will also experience fear.
Fear causes the thinking brain to shut down, making the person unable to function at his or her best. If they associate you with this emotion of fear, they will become less functional around you, and you will have succeeded in not only shooting yourself in the foot, but possibly making a very good employee or partner unable to perform effectively. Fear has no place in leadership.
The way we influence people in a lasting way is by our own character, and our understanding and use of emotion. We can order someone to do something, which may be part of the work day; or we can employ them at the emotional level, so they became fully devoted to the projects and provide some of their own motivation(积极性). Today’s work place is all about relationships. Anyone works harder in a positive environment in which they’re recognized and valued as a human being as well as a worker. Everyone produces just a bit more for someone they like. Leaders understand the way things work. They know the pay check is not the single most motivating factor (因素) in the work life of most people.
The true strength of leadership is an inner strength that comes from the confidence of emotional intelligence---knowing your own emotions, and how to handle them, and those of others. Developing your emotional intelligence is the single best thing you can do if you want to develop your relationships with people around you, which is the key to the leadership skills.
1. The underlined phrase “shooting oneself in the foot” means _____ in this passage.
A. throw or walk in a specific direction or towards a specific objective
B. to injure or harm one's own interests
C. to move or pass suddenly or swiftly
D. to grow forth(向前) from the ground
2. An employee may have a feeling of fear in the work place when___.
A. he is forced to do things B. he cannot work at his best
C. he feels his brain shut down D. he thinks of his work as too heavy
3. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A. People tend to associate leadership with fear.
B. Working conditions affect people’s physical health.
C. Good relationship is the key to business success.
D. Smart people are more functional in the work place.
4. To positively influence employees, a leader should first of all ____.
A. provide better suggestions B. develop his own personality
C. give his employees a pay raise D. hide his own emotion of fear
5. Good leadership is mainly seen in a leader’s ability to_____.
A. provide a variety of project for employees
B. help raise employees’ living standards
C. give employees’ specific instructions（指导）
D. deal wisely with employees’ emotions