On “primal leadership”
Great leaders move us. They ignite our passion and inspire the best in us. When we try to explain why they are so effective, we speak of strategy, vision, or powerful ideas. But the reality is much more primal: Great leadership works through the emotions
I am currently reading Daniel Goleman book Primal Leadership: Learning Emotional Intelligence. Its a fair read, allowing me to reflect on my leadership and EI and has signposted a few interesting studies and EI resources (EI Quiz). It is not a big leap then, from EI to Deception Detection.
Unsurprisingly, I have primarily focused my reflections on my personal practice, at the relationships I have developed with those colleagues I support or the students teach, but this article, ‘How to tell when your boss is lying,’ encouraged me consider a difference perspective. Conversely,
For the record, I want to underline that our Headteacher has been is very supportive, both professionally and personally. This article is not about my relationships, but about leadership relations from the perspective of anyone being led. It also gave me thought on how not to communicate with Curriculum leaders, in my first senior leadership position.
Deceptive bosses, it transpires, tend to make more references to general knowledge (“as you know…”), and refer less to shareholder value (perhaps to minimise the risk of a lawsuit, the authors hypothesise). They also use fewer “non-extreme positive emotion words”. That is, instead of describing something as “good”, they call it “fantastic”. The aim is to “sound more persuasive” while talking horsefeathers.
When they are lying, bosses avoid the word “I”, opting instead for the third person. They use fewer “hesitation words”, such as “um” and “er”, suggesting that they may have been coached in their deception.
Corporate psychology: How to tell when your boss is lying | The Economist