I was delighted to hear that Goleman had a new book coming out that explored the implications of recent studies on the brain and emotional regulation.
The Brain and Emotional Intelligence: New Insights is a short work, and it's Goleman's first digital-only book. It "provides updates on the key findings that further inform our understanding of emotional intelligence and how to apply this skill set." It's aimed at those working in the emotional intelligence field, and who need to apply the concept in effective action -- leaders, coaches, human resources officers, managers, and educators -- but I believe it's also a must-read for anyone interested in the overlap of science and spirituality.
Goleman convincingly cites studies that support his contention that emotional intelligence is a phenomenon separate from IQ. As the author observes, echoing Howard Gardner, "For an intelligence to be recognized as a distance set of capacities there has to be a unique underlying set of brain areas that govern and regulate that intelligence."
Using the work of Reuven Bar-On, Goleman shows that it is in fact the case that there are distinct circuits in the brain for emotions and emotional regulation, and these are duly outlined, along with accompanying diagrams (which are unfortunately in black and white on the Kindle, due to the limitations of the platform).
In highlighting the importance of self-awareness in emotional intelligence, Goleman recounts the fascinating case of a brain-damaged lawyer whose intellect was unaffected, but who was unable to make even simple decisions. Unable to connect his thoughts with his emotions, he was rendered unable to tell good decisions from bad. "In order to make a good decision, we need to have feelings about our thoughts."
The most important decisions we make are those laden with ethical significance, and the mechanisms of these kinds of decisions are explored. One of the most extraordinary things I learned here was that some parts of the brain are unable to communicate directly with each other, and that they use nerve clusters in the gastrointestinal tract as a relay. It appears that "gut feelings" have a scientific basis. As someone who both relies on gut feelings and who teaches others their importance, this was an important validation.
I was fascinated to learn, in the chapter "Self-Mastery: The Right Brain State for the Job," about the pros and cons of various positive and negative mental states. In positive states of mind we are more creative, but may also be less discriminating. In negative moods we may be unpleasant to be around, but we also pay more attention to detail, are more able to stick with boring tasks, and are more inclined to think for ourselves.
A chapter on "The Creative Brain" discusses the neurophysiology of creativity, and gives important suggestions about how to make creative insights more likely to arise.
The chapter on "Self Mastery" explores the territory of emotional regulation, and how the amygdala, responsible for the "fight or flight" reflex can hijack the entire brain, leading to stress and panic. Goleman identifies the top five "amygdala triggers" in the workplace: Condescension and lack of respect; being treated unfairly; lack of appreciation; believing that you're not being listened to; and being held to unrealistic deadlines. Simply being aware of these is helpful, but Goleman goes on to suggest strategies and tools that make an amygdala hijack less likely. These include self-awareness, self-talk, empathy, and (naturally enough) meditation.
Goleman goes on to summarize important research on various topics such as motivation, stress (including how much stress is the right amount), how rapport emerges, why it is that online interactions can be so much more contentious than real-life encounters, gender differences in the brain regarding empathy (and here Goleman rightly stresses that the differences may be true in general, but do not apply to every individual), and sociopathy (a condition suffered by those who do not care about the effects of their actions on others). In most cases the approach is not merely theoretical. The theory is fascinating, but Goleman's drawing out of the implications for all this on our lives and for practice are, for me, the key element.
Very appropriately, for such a practical book, The Brain and Emotional Intelligence ends with chapters on "Developing Emotional Intelligence," and on how Emotional Intelligence practices are being used to reduce misbehavior in schools.
The Brain and Emotional Intelligence: New Insights is a book I'll be returning to over and over. I'd highly recommend it for anyone, and not just the businesspeople and trainers at whom it seems to be primarily aimed.
