Did you know there are 3 kinds of “Brain Drains” now in the workforce?

   1.  Fewer Brains feeding the leadership pipeline, the actual “number of capable leaders” out there is shrinking
   2.  Emotional Intelligence Drain
   3.  Environmental IQ drain.

78 million Baby Boomers are retiring
Only 46M new Gen X’s are coming to take their place.
40% of organizations will be experiencing significant gap in number of skilled leaders training

Two:  EI Brain Drain, baby Boomers have a higher EI.  Why?

• Less actual face time because of technology. Inter-facing with a computer or phone versus a person lowers the amount of time spent with real people “face to face” is now far less than ever before due to teleconference, webinars and groupware.

• So less time dealing with conflict, less time communicating your thoughts in depth, less immediate response reading emotions that allow to see the effects of your communication, less face time changing and readjusting your communication in the moment.

• These are all basic people skills that are getting “less and less time to be learned” and practiced with each generation so less Emotional Intelligence (less emotionally engaged people overall) are coming into the workforce.

What does leadership research tell us about these “people drainage systems”?

We see this lack of basic skills highlighted in some of the research:

Blanchard Companies launched a study in 2006 in which more than 1,400 leaders, managers, and executives shared their views on the critical skills, common mistakes and failures connected to leadership.

   1. Failing to provide appropriate feedback (praise, redirection)—82% of respondents
   2. Failing to listen to or involve others in the process—81% of Respondents
   3. Failing to use a leadership style appropriate to the person, task, and situation (over-supervising or under-supervising)—76% of respondents
   4. Failing to set clear goals and objectives—76% of respondents
   5. Failing to train and develop their people—59% of respondents

The Answer: Counteract the Brain Drain with Brain Gain EI resources.
Generation X and Millenials need to learn more emotional intelligent leadership skills to compensate for Technology time versus face time. Learn EI skills like Emotional Self Control, Confidence, Teamwork and Collaboration, Developing Others, Communication and Empathy tools and strategies for Leading with Emotional Intelligence .

New book release: Leading with Emotional Intelligence is now available for pre-order. This is the new updated version or Leaders’ Playbook. The profiles in EI were updated and a new chapter about Emotional Self-Control is added. You can pre-order the book here, then back to the site for bonus items.

Bonus items include: Next the IQ Drain

Today' leadership challenges require more Emotional Intelligence.

WHY NOW: CONVERGING CHAOS

We are in the middle of a leadership “double whammy.”

1. We are in the midst of what is being called the “great recession.” The country lost 8.4 million jobs from 2007-2009, four times the net losses in the recession of the 1980s and 1.2 million more than previously estimated. The LA Times reports this  “severe destruction of jobs since December 2007, when the recession began, means that it will take years for millions of distressed families—and the economy as a whole—to climb back from what is being called the Great recession.”


2. We are approaching the largest turnover of human capital in our history, as 40% of the American workforce will be eligible to retire in 2010. There is a projected shortfall of 10 million workers that leaders will have to contend with in the next few years.


The questions leaders have to face today are abundant:

    * Will I have a job?
    * Will my people have jobs?
    * How do I motivate the ones who are here?
    * How do I keep my best people from leaving and finding more secure work?
    * How do I train the ones who are here for the next challenge and to be our new stars?
    * How do we deal with more work and fewer people?
    * How do we all manage our stress and enjoy work more?
    * How do we do our best work with all that is going on?
    * How do I hire the best people who can be our next stars?
    * How do I manage myself to keep all this in perspective and perform at my best?


David Rock has said the brain knows only two states: Is this situation a threat to me (with the inherent fear)? Or is this situation a reward (with possible release of pleasurable brain chemicals, such as dopamine)? As you read the questions above, which state does your brain go into?

This site www.truenorthleadership.com has resources and assessments to establish where you are on EI and tools for improving your EI. The good news is you can improve your EI with some focus and practice.

Warren Bennis Leadership Guru:  States that the "field of leadership studies should attend to how we develop leaders who understand relationships and communication, who can manage their themselves and others with wisdom, creativity and values."