Building Boardroom Emotional Intelligence
Six practices that help directors, boards, and chairs turn expertise into better decisions
Boardroom Emotional Intelligence, Part 2 of 2
Last month I wrote about the invisible force in the boardroom. Directors are selected for their expertise, but they add value through emotional intelligence: how they build relationships with fellow board members and put that expertise to productive use. The natural next question is how a board builds it. (more…)
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In every organization I advise, whether mid-market companies, universities, or foundations, I observe how the C-suite handles conflict as one indicator of their performance as a team.
You’ve likely seen a rowing crew at some point; eight athletes in a slender boat, moving in perfect coordination, each oar entering and leaving the water in the same instant. It’s a display of precision engineered for speed, every stroke calibrated to add power rather than drag. If just one rower is a fraction off tempo, the whole boat loses momentum. Alignment isn’t a nice-to-have for that crew. It’s the entire strategy.
These days, everywhere I drive in metropolitan Detroit, there’s construction. Roads are closed for months, sometimes years. Traffic is rerouted, and it takes longer to reach any destination. It’s a genuine inconvenience. But in Michigan’s climate, maintaining the roads is critical to avoiding accidents, minimizing vehicle damage, and enabling faster emergency response. Left unaddressed, reconstruction costs escalate, businesses lose customers who avoid certain routes, and property values stagnate. 
Many people seek leadership roles, but few understand the full weight of those roles until they sit in them and come face to face with the hard choices they must make every day. These decisions arise where the so-called “best” solution is debatable, where the leader takes an unpopular stance against supporters, or where a strategic pivot causes disruption and fear. They are decisions where long-term gains require short-term pain, where stakeholder needs can never be fully reconciled, and where those who advocate for opposing options are openly clashing. 
There’s an old African proverb: “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”
News and business headlines continuously report on organizational crisis like downsizing, layoffs, overleveraged balance sheets, undercapitalized businesses, and bankruptcy. These are technical terms for the simple and traumatic reality of crises threatening an organization’s very existence. It hits all sizes of businesses, non-profits, higher education and municipalities.
As leaders navigate the uncharted waters of today’s volatile business landscape, teams are looking for more than just directives. They are looking for perspective, insight, and meaning.
Decades ago, as a teenager, I completed my final driver’s training class, eager to put my new skills to use. This rite of passage marked my readiness to navigate the open roads with my permit and a parent by my side. My father met me outside the building in his Ford Pinto wagon (yes, I’m dating myself). He moved to the passenger seat and told me to drive us home. My excitement quickly faded when I realized the car was a stick shift, while I had only learned on an automatic. Undeterred, my father explained how to use the clutch and coached me through every jerky, stalled moment on our way home.