Primal Leadership, With a New Preface by the Authors: Unleashing the Power of Emotional Intelligence (Unleashing the Power of Emotinal Intelligence)

by Daniel Goleman

McClelland proposed that if an organization wanted to hire or promote the best person for a specific job, such as a leadership position, it should discard what were then the standard criteria. Instead of testing people for their IQ, technical skills, or personality—or just looking at their résumés—McClelland proposed first studying employees who were already outstanding performers in that job and systematically comparing them with those who were just average at it. That analysis yields not just the threshold abilities for the position (the basic skills everyone must have to do the job) but, more important, the distinguishing competencies: abilities that the stars exhibited and the average performers did not. Then, said McClelland, choose people who have those same competencies—or help your people develop those strengths.