The Eye of the World - Chapter 2 [#100Days, Day 5]

Emotional Intelligence I:

    A key element to Chapter 2 is not about who we meet, but who we don't meet. The Wisdom of Emond's Field is a tempest, by all accounts:

You know Nynaeve's temper. When Cenn Buie called her a child last year, she thumped him on the head with her stick, and he's on the Village Council, and old enough to be her grandfather, besides. She flares up at anything, and never stays angry past turning around.
Rand al'Thor, The Eye of the World, p. 20

    The problem with continually getting overly angry about any tiny issue eventually drives people to stop coming with issues.  The Wisdom of Emond's Field is clearly a leadership position, with a focus on healing, and the general health and well-being of the town. For her to have such a knack for extreme outbursts does not bode well for her bedside manner practices.  It's quite clear that she'll unleash on anyone at anytime for any reason; hardly the qualities of a caring leader.

    Communications are integral to the success of any project, team or organization. Leadership tends to involve news about less-than-positive occurances.  In fact, I had a boss who liked to say that no one ever called to give him good news.  People always call with problems. That's what leadership is about: removing those barriers to keep the team moving forward towards success. It's critical for the leader to balance their emotions and be able to face the facts without excessive emotional outbursts, especially negative emotions.  This is a very challenging task. It's made even more challenging when outside entities are auditing your organization for certifications, or a comprehensive assessment.  It's tough to face a screen full of yellow and red, labeling programs as "Partial" or "Ineffective" or "Declining." It's tougher still when you have team of great people doing the best they can. The body blows can be hard to shrug off. That's also a part of leadership: take the hit, take a knee, get back up and keep attacking.