Leading with Emotional Intelligence | Ben Zoghi | TEDxTAMU

Summary

The speaker, raised in a Persian family with limited career choices, shares a personal journey from studying engineering to becoming a professor. He emphasizes the importance of emotional intelligence, intrinsic motivation, and the power of being present in the moment. The speaker challenges the traditional 'do-have-be' mindset, advocating for a shift towards self-awareness, empathy, and relationship management as keys to personal and professional fulfillment.

Takeaways

• 😀 The speaker emphasizes the importance of focusing on personal and professional development rather than just academic achievements.
• 🏛 Raised in a Persian family, the speaker was limited to career choices of being an engineer or a doctor, highlighting cultural influences on career paths.
• 🎓 The speaker reflects on the extensive curriculum in higher education and questions how many of those courses are truly about the individual's personal growth.
• 👨‍🏫 As a professor, the speaker admits to using only 10-15% of their education in their daily work, suggesting a disconnect between education and practical application.
• 💡 The speaker challenges the traditional 'do-have-be' mindset, advocating for a shift towards understanding what one truly wants to be in life.
• 💖 Emotional intelligence is a key focus of the presentation, with the speaker explaining its importance in self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management.
• 🔄 The speaker suggests that changing one's mindset and behavior can lead to intrinsic motivation and a more fulfilling life.
• 👂 The importance of active listening and empathy is highlighted as essential skills for effective communication and understanding others.
• 🌐 The concept of being interconnected and responsible for each other's well-being is presented, encouraging a sense of global community and social awareness.
• 🧘 The speaker introduces mindfulness and its benefits, such as calming the emotional brain and promoting emotional intelligence.
• 🌬 The power of breathing as a tool for being present and managing emotions is shared, underlining its role in achieving a balanced state of mind.

Q & A

What was the speaker's initial career choice influenced by their family background?

The speaker's initial career choice was influenced by being raised in a Persian family, where they were given limited choices to become either an engineer or a doctor.

What does the speaker suggest about the relevance of the education received during their bachelor's degree?

The speaker suggests that the education received during a bachelor's degree may not be fully relevant to one's professional life, as they personally use only 10 to 15 percent of their education as a professor.

What is the speaker's childhood dream and what influenced it?

The speaker's childhood dream was to become a professor, influenced by a neighbor who was a professor, always well-dressed, smoked a pipe, and commanded high respect in their neighborhood.

What is the speaker's main challenge to the next generation of leaders?

The speaker challenges the next generation of leaders to reevaluate their mindset, focusing not just on doing and having but on being—on what kind of person they want to become.

What is the speaker's view on the current mindset of people in relation to their happiness?

The speaker believes that the current mindset, which is focused on doing a lot of work to eventually have a job, family, house, and money, is the root cause of unhappiness for many people.

What is the concept of emotional intelligence as discussed by the speaker?

Emotional intelligence, as discussed by the speaker, involves recognizing and understanding one's own emotions and those of others for the purposes of self-motivation, self-management, and building deep, profound relationships.

How does the speaker define intrinsic motivation?

Intrinsic motivation, according to the speaker, is the ability to internally motivate oneself, driven by personal desires and goals rather than external incentives.

What is the significance of the poem from the Persian poet mentioned in the script?

The poem signifies the interconnectedness of all human beings and the importance of empathy, suggesting that one should not be indifferent to the pain of others and that responding to it is a shared human responsibility.

What is the speaker's advice on effective communication and listening?

The speaker advises to listen with the intent to truly understand the other person's perspective, which is different from merely hearing their words, and this is referred to as empathy.

What is the concept of mindfulness as presented by the speaker?

Mindfulness, as presented by the speaker, is the act of paying attention with intention to one's thoughts, feelings, and body, which can lead to a more emotionally intelligent and calm state of being.

How does the speaker suggest one can manage their emotions and reactions?

The speaker suggests managing emotions and reactions by being aware of one's biases, understanding the impact of emotions on thoughts and behavior, and practicing mindfulness to soothe the emotional brain.