No one can make you feel inferior without your permission (Eleanor Roosevelt), continues to be a statement to women about our personal empowerment and self-efficacy. In March 2017 Women’s History Month also included the International Day of the Woman, reminding us of the global solidarity among women across the world and from all walks of life.
Knowledge-building is both intentional and serendipitous. I have often stated that perspective-taking is one facet of leadership because it allows a leader to appreciate others’ realities, going beyond one’s preferred ethnocentric script. With the range of interpersonal encounters we have on a daily basis, we all need mental processing tools to make sense of what we are seeing or hearing. Cultural psychologists have often noted that self-awareness and critical consciousness are two such skills that strengthen a leader’s relational abilities, knowledge-building, and of course, abilities to lead responsibly.
How well am I doing? Most of us are inclined to reflect on the past year and engage in some form of self-evaluation. Of course, there are formal processes as well that may be more prescribed and adhere to protocols and processes for measuring progress.
Engaging emotional IQ is essential in classrooms and the workplace during these times of change. In these settings people come together from different dimensions of personal identity, cultural roots, geographic locations and political preferences. Disappointment for some is jubilation for others and this cannot go unnoticed by business and academic leaders. Responsive leaders know these differing sentiments are being felt and expressed, often causing tensions and hurtful exchanges.