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The Science of Optimal Performance—at Work and Beyond | Daniel Goleman

Jan 15, 2024

Daniel Goleman, a Harvard-trained psychologist and author of 'Emotional Intelligence,' shares insights on boosting productivity and emotional awareness. He discusses practical techniques to maintain energy and focus, while combating burnout and perfectionism. Goleman emphasizes the importance of empathy and active listening in the workplace, offering strategies for giving feedback with compassion. He also reflects on the future of emotional intelligence in a world increasingly driven by AI, advocating for a balanced approach to personal and professional growth.

01:07:54

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Daniel Goleman

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Quick takeaways

Emotional intelligence is crucial for achieving optimal performance and involves self-awareness, managing emotions, empathy, and social skills.

Investing in emotional intelligence training can improve leadership, teamwork, and overall performance in organizations.

Compassion and self-care are essential for preventing burnout and making empathy sustainable in work and personal life.

Deep dives

Understanding Optimal Performance

Optimal performance is about performing at your best and feeling satisfied with your day's accomplishments. It involves keeping your energy levels high, staying focused and productive, and playing well with others. Emotional intelligence plays a crucial role in achieving optimal performance. It consists of self-awareness, managing emotions effectively, empathy, and social skills. By practicing emotional intelligence, individuals can reduce burnout and maintain resilience. Organizations can create a culture of emotional intelligence by explicitly valuing it, incorporating it into performance reviews, supporting training programs, and promoting the importance of self-care.

Technique for Better Listening

02:19

Balancing Empathy and Compassion to Prevent Burnout

00:48

Understanding Emotional Intelligence

02:11

Empathy Grows Through Feedback

02:00

Intro

5min

Redefining Productivity: Embracing Optimal Living

3min

The Perils and Pros of Perfectionism

11min

Unlocking Emotional Intelligence

18min

Mastering Active Listening

9min

Navigating Feedback with Empathy

11min

Redefining Compassion: Balancing Self-Care and Empathy

4min

Empathy, AI, and the Future of Leadership

13min

Reflecting on Excellence and Resources

4min

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How to boost productivity, empathy, and focus, while reducing burnout. From the godfather of Emotional Intelligence.

If you have any degree of ambition, one of the things you probably think about is how to perform at your best, or somewhere close, every day. How to keep your energy up. How to get into flow. How to stay focused and productive. How to play well with others.

Daniel Goleman— his friends call him Danny—-has been thinking and writing about optimal performance for decades. He’s perhaps best known for his book, Emotional Intelligence. He’s a Harvard trained psychologist who also wrote in the New York Times for a while. And in his youth, he spent many years studying meditation in Asia, alongside many of today’s most intellectual meditation teachers like Joseph Goldstein and Sharon Salzberg.

He’s got a new book called Optimal: How to Sustain Personal and Organizational Excellence Every Day, co-written with Cary Cherniss.

In this episode we talk about:

How to train your mind for optimal states
How to reduce burnout
How to develop and deploy empathy in a work setting
How to give feedback
A productivity hack that involves only doing the easy stuff
The 4 parts of emotional intelligence—and how to get better at each
And the future of EI in a world of AI

This episode kicks off the latest installment of our occasional series, Sanely Ambitious. Over the next two weeks, we will be posting episodes on: how to focus in the midst of a pandemic of distraction, how to fail well, and when to quit. It’s a great lineup.

Daniel Goleman’s online Emotional Intelligence Program

Related Episodes:

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#494. How to Speak Clearly, Calmly, and Without Alienating People | Dan Clurman and Mudita Nisker

The Science of Emotional Intelligence | Daniel Goleman

#523. A Masterclass in Handling Yourself When Things Suck | Tsoknyi Rinpoche and Daniel Goleman

#436. Brené Brown Says You're Doing Feelings Wrong

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