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This info-graphic is filled with quick facts about mental health. Including some factors that can increase or decrease our mental health.

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Service and volunteering is important in leadership. Giving back to the team, the community, and other members helps everyone grow and prosper.

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College is a fragile time for all students. This article discusses the top challenges, however, every student is facing their own battles.

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If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 988 or 1-800-273-TALK (8255), available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. All calls are confidential, and anyone can use this service.

Many college students experience symptoms of a serious mental health condition.

Depression and anxiety are common mental health conditions among students.

Resources are available to help students improve their mental health.

Mental health experts and researchers often use terms like "epidemic" and "crisis" to describe the mental health challenges many U.S. college students face these days.

In the Fall 2021 National College Health Assessment, about 30% of student respondents said anxiety negatively affected their academic performance. Furthermore, just over 1 in 5 students reported having been diagnosed with depression by a healthcare professional.

Mood disturbances represent just some of the mental health conditions many college students have. Other common challenges include suicide and suicidal ideation, eating disorders, and substance misuse.

This guide introduces the top five mental health challenges facing college students today, with advice on how to identify potential conditions and get support.

1. Depression

Depression is a mood disorder that involves persistent feelings of sadness, hopelessness, and loss of interest in previously enjoyable activities.

People going through a depressive episode may experience mood swings, sleep disturbances, appetite changes, and headaches and/or body pains with no apparent physical cause.

In the 2021 Healthy Minds Study, 22% of college students screened positive for major depression, and 41% screened positive for depression overall. This makes depression one of the most common mental health conditions among U.S. college students.

Symptoms of Depression

Symptoms of depression can vary depending on the person. The way one person exhibits signs of depression is not necessarily the same way symptoms may emerge in someone else.

According to the American Psychological Association, symptoms of depression can include:

Displaying some of these symptoms does not necessarily mean you're depressed. However, if you begin to experience these symptoms with some regularity, you should consider seeking professional help.

Signs That Someone May Have Depression

Everyone has off days when they feel overwhelmed or down about life. But when these days become weeks and simply getting out of bed becomes a struggle, such symptoms become cause for concern.

Here are some signs of depression to look for in peers, friends, and loved ones:

They're not enjoying activities they once loved

They no longer attend classes or social outings

They're experiencing extreme anger or sadness over a relationship in their life

They react negatively or with apathy to most things

They often talk about death or suicide

Words of encouragement can show that person you're a source of support. However, avoid telling someone to "cheer up" or "snap out of it." Many people experiencing depression are aware of their condition, and telling them to get over it is not helpful.

If you believe someone you know is at risk, gently encourage them to seek help and offer to accompany them to a student health center or doctor's appointment. Although talking through their challenges with you may be helpful, understand that this is not a substitute for professional treatment.

Signs That You May Have Depression

If you think you may have depression, ask yourself the following questions:

Have you experienced extreme sadness or hopelessness?

Does your family have a history of depression?

Have you turned to heavy drinking or drug use to relieve feelings of hopelessness?

Have you experienced invasive thoughts of death or suicide?

If you answered yes to any of the above questions, consider making an appointment with your primary healthcare provider or with someone at your student health center for a mental health assessment.

Resources for Depression

The following organizations are dedicated to providing resources and assistance to those living with depression:

2. Anxiety

Most college students experience anxiety from time to time. However, mounting or ongoing feelings of worry, tension, and panic can interfere with day-to-day life. When your daily life is disrupted, anxiety becomes a medical condition that needs treatment.

In a 2016 Pennsylvania State University study, 61% of survey respondents identified anxiety as a leading student mental health condition. And in the aforementioned Healthy Minds Study, 1 in 3 students screened positive for an anxiety disorder.

Below are some of the most common types of anxiety disorders:

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD): This condition involves constant, severe anxiety that interferes with day-to-day activities.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD): People with OCD experience intrusive and unreasonable thoughts, fears, and obsessions that lead to repetitive behaviors and compulsions.

Panic Disorder: This condition is characterized by constant fearfulness and frequent, sudden attacks of terror and panic.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): PTSD usually develops after someone experiences or witnesses a traumatic event. However, individuals can also have trauma without suffering a major catastrophic event.

Social Anxiety Disorder: This mental health condition manifests as irrational anxiety, fear, self-consciousness, and embarrassment in everyday social interactions.

Symptoms of Anxiety

Symptoms of an anxiety disorder are often mistaken for everyday stress or written off as worrying too much.

Depending on how your body responds to increased levels of certain chemicals, panic attacks may be mistaken for a physical ailment, such as a heart attack or tension headache.

Common symptoms of anxiety can include:

Feelings of stress, restlessness, apprehension, or fearfulness

Irritability

Trouble concentrating

Excessive sweating and dizziness

Shortness of breath

Muscle pain and tension

Headaches

Frequent upset stomach or diarrhea

The exact causes of anxiety aren't fully understood but may include a combination of genetics, naturally occurring brain chemicals, life experiences, and stress.

Signs That Someone May Have Anxiety

Brief, occasional feelings of anxiety or anxiety-driven behaviors do not automatically indicate a mental health condition. If, however, anxious feelings persist, interfere with your daily life or functioning, or begin to manifest as obsessive behaviors with an overwhelming sense of fear, it may be time to seek help.

Someone you know may have an anxiety disorder if they display one or more of the following behaviors:

Refrain from criticizing or belittling the severity of someone's symptoms and encourage them to try coping strategies that avoid causing further anxiety. You might also encourage your friend or peer to visit campus mental health services so they can talk with a professional.

Signs That You May Have Anxiety

If you suspect you may have an anxiety disorder, here are some questions to ask yourself:

Are you experiencing anxious or worrisome thoughts on a daily basis?

Are you plagued by fears others may find unfounded or irrational?

Do you avoid everyday social activities because they cause you anxiety?

Do you experience sudden, heart-pounding panic attacks?

Is your anxiety interfering with your school work, job, and/or relationships?

If you answered yes to any of the above questions, consider visiting your primary healthcare provider or someone at your student health center for a mental health assessment.

Resources for Anxiety

The following organizations are excellent resources for students with anxiety disorders:

3. Suicidal Ideation and Intent

Suicidal ideation is defined as a pattern of thinking about or planning one's own death by one's own hand. Generally, mental health professionals consider overwhelming or highly detailed suicidal thoughts a mental health emergency.

A 2018 study by Harvard Medical School researchers found that 1 in 5 U.S. college students experienced thoughts of suicide. More recently, the 2021 Healthy Minds Study reported that 5% of student respondents had planned to commit suicide (without making an attempt) in the past year.

Signs of Suicidal Ideation in Others

Many students experience stress, frustration, and doubt, but sometimes those thoughts gain an intense momentum that brings students to a place where they may seriously consider ending their lives.

Signs of suicidal ideation differ from person to person. According to ADAA, common warning signs can appear in a person's speech, mood, and/or behavior. These include:

Speech: People considering suicide may talk about feeling trapped, feeling as if they're a burden to others, feeling as if they have no reason to go on, and/or wanting to end their lives.

Mood: Signs of suicidal ideation and intent in someone can manifest in a variety of moods, including anxiety, irritability, loss of interest in activities they enjoyed previously, humiliation, rage, and depression.

Behavior: Those considering suicide may exhibit specific behaviors, including giving away prized possessions, withdrawing from friends and family, inexplicably visiting people to tell them goodbye, and searching online for information about how to commit suicide. They may also sleep poorly or too often, behave recklessly, act aggressively, and/or increase their use of drugs and alcohol.

If you notice any of the behaviors listed above in a classmate, friend, or family member, it's important to talk to them about your concerns as soon as possible. They could be in a fragile state, so make sure to approach them with patience and kindness.

In addition to encouraging them to see a mental health professional, you can and should give them the tools to help themselves. Advise them to save the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline phone number - 988 or 1-800-273-8255 - in their phone. (And save this in your phone, as well.)

If you're unsure how to approach someone who may be experiencing suicidal ideation, you can consult online suicide prevention programs, like Crisis Connections, for advice.

Signs of Suicidal Ideation in Yourself

Suicidal thoughts often stem from a preexisting mental health condition. Depression, which can cause distorted thinking, sometimes leads to suicidal thoughts. Feeling utterly overwhelmed and helpless due to anxiety can also result in suicidal thoughts.

If you're thinking about ending your life, tell a friend or loved one. You should also contact your mental health center as soon as possible.

Remember that crisis services are available. Don't hesitate to call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 or 1-800-273-8255 if you're experiencing peristent thoughts of suicide.

Suicide is a preventable tragedy. There are people out there who care and want to help you.

Suicide Prevention Resources

Many suicide prevention resources are available online and at campus health centers. Here are some organizations that specialize in mental health and suicide prevention:

Learn More

4. Eating Disorders

Eating disorders cover a variety of conditions marked by major irregularities in eating habits and an intense preoccupation with one's body image or shape. These disorders can involve both food deprivation and binge eating, which may be followed by purging.

Data shows that around 11-17% of female college students and 4% of male college students in the U.S. screen positive for clinical eating disorder symptoms.

Here are some examples of common eating disorders:

Anorexia Nervosa: Characterized by an unhealthy fixation on thinness, a distorted body image, and fears of gaining weight, this disorder commonly results in emaciation and has one of the highest mortality rates among mental health conditions.

Bulimia Nervosa: Bulimia nervosa involves recurrent and frequent episodes of eating unusually large amounts of food, followed by behavior that compensates for binging, like purging, fasting, or overexercising.

Binge Eating Disorder: Binge eating disorder is characterized by constant cravings that occur any time of day and result in overeating. This disorder is often associated with poor body image and low self-esteem.

Symptoms of an Eating Disorder

The signs and symptoms of eating disorders can vary significantly. Many depend on the mental state of the individual with the disorder.

However, there are several red flags that are common factors for anorexia, bulimia, and binging, such as the following:

Distorted or poor body image

Excessive exercise

Irregular heartbeat

Dehydration

Feeling like your eating is out of control

Fear of eating in public

Constantly making excuses for eating habits

Eating disorders can be life-threatening and contribute to serious health issues if not treated properly, such as kidney failure, heart problems, stunted growth, loss of menstruation, and failure of the reproductive system.

Signs That Someone May Have an Eating Disorder

We all have days when our self-image isn't at its best. Remember that experiencing a few negative episodes doesn't necessarily mean you or someone has an eating disorder.

Nevertheless, when random complaints about weight become all a friend or loved one can focus on, or if you notice they've started skipping meals or binging on junk food and then feeling guilty afterward, it may be time to act.

Here are some signs to look for when you suspect someone you know has an eating disorder:

Are they skipping meals or only eating small portions of food?

Are they suddenly uninterested in foods they once loved?

Are they limiting their meals to foods very low in calories?

Are they taking diet pills excessively or medication that suppresses hunger, such as Adderall or Ritalin?

Do they disappear suddenly to the restroom after meals?

Do their teeth appear noticeably stained?

Are they using mints after trips to the bathroom or perfume to mask the smell of vomit?

Do they appear preoccupied with their body, appearance, and/or weight?

Do they exercise excessively or have trouble taking rest days from exercise?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, your peer, friend, or loved one could have an eating disorder. If you need help approaching them about your concerns, consult the National Eating Disorders Association for advice.

Signs That You May Have an Eating Disorder

Worried you may have or be developing an eating disorder? Here are some questions to ask yourself:

Do you refuse to eat food or skip meals?

Do you fear eating out in public with others?

Do you count calories out of a need for control?

Do you follow strict eating habits that you feel guilty and ashamed for breaking?

Are you obsessed or dissatisfied with your weight or body shape?

Do you find yourself eating large amounts of food and then purging, making yourself vomit, or feeling like you have to do something (e.g., exercise) to compensate for the food you just ate?

Have you noticed excessive hair growth on your arms and face or the loss of your period?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, seek treatment. Eating disorders can become life-threatening, and it's important you receive help as soon as possible.

Eating Disorder Resources

If you need guidance to help a friend or yourself through an eating disorder, or if you want to understand more about eating disorders in general, these resources are a good place to start:

5. Substance Misuse

College students frequently use alcohol and recreational drugs, which can become problematic.

Substance misuse describes a tangible pattern of physical and/or psychological dependence on one or more substances. This condition typically entails strong cravings and indulgence in substance misuse, despite knowing the risks and harms of this behavior.

According to Addiction Center, about one-third of U.S. college students report symptoms of alcohol misuse. What's more, a 2018 survey from the National Institute on Drug Abuse found that 15% of male college students and 9% of female college students misused Adderall, a drug commonly used to treat ADHD.

College students have also been found to misuse drugs like marijuana, ecstasy, cocaine, and prescription painkillers at high rates.

Symptoms of Substance Misuse

Many students who use alcohol and drugs in college do not develop an addiction. However, they can still feel the side effects of withdrawal or prolonged use of these substances.

Here are some of the most common symptoms of substance misuse:

Slurred speech, bloodshot eyes, or impaired coordination

Fear, anxiety, or paranoia for no apparent reason

Prone to suspicious behaviors (e.g., frequently getting into fights or getting into trouble with the law)

A sudden need for money or a financial crisis

High tolerance for alcohol and/or drug use (in other words, the person may need to use more and more of a substance to obtain the same effects)

Deterioration of physical appearance, such as weight loss or gain, and changes in personal grooming habits

A sudden change in friends, activities, or hobbies

If you're experiencing one or more of these symptoms, you may be at risk of developing a substance use disorder. Genetics can contribute to your likelihood of developing an addiction, especially if your family has a history of alcohol or drug misuse.

Signs That Someone May Have a Substance Use Disorder

It's not always clear when alcohol or drug use has turned from recreational to habitual. Friends and loved ones who don't want to admit they have a problem may use tactics that evade and undermine your concerns.

If you suspect someone may have a substance use disorder, ask yourself the following questions:

Those who misuse drugs or alcohol often conceal their symptoms or downplay their addiction. As such, it's important that you express your concerns as soon as you notice the warning signs.

When the person is sober, tell them you've noticed their excessive drug or alcohol use. Emphasize the positive sober behaviors you admire and the destructive behaviors they display when drunk or high that concern you.

Refrain from being accusatory or judgmental, as this might cause them to withdraw and further ignore their issues. Offer to go with them to seek treatment at your student health center and help them find resources to support them.

Signs That You May Have a Substance Use Disorder

Ask yourself the following questions if you think you may be exhibiting signs of substance misuse:

If you answered yes to any of these questions, make an appointment to see your healthcare provider right away. Substance misuse should be taken seriously and treated under the guidance of a professional.

Substance Misuse Resources

The following resources can teach you more about the signs and causes of substance misuse, as well as how to get help for yourself or someone you know:
DISCLAIMER: The information provided on this website is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment; instead, all information, content, and materials available on this site are for general informational purposes only. Readers of this website should consult with their physician to obtain advice with respect to any medical condition or treatment.

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Top 5 Mental Health Challenges Facing Students | BestColleges

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Learn the signs and symptoms of the most common mental health conditions among college students, and find resources for support.

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Helping Students with Anxiety or Depression

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Helping Students with Anxiety or Depression

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With many students becoming anxious, Student Life faculty should provide resources to help these students. They should also train other faculty members and student workers to recognize the signs and know where to direct the students to receive help.

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Anxiety and depression are the top reasons that college students seek counseling, a new report shows. Shutterstock.com

Many of us think of college as a wondrous time of new experiences and great freedom to explore new ideas and find one's true self.

In recent years, however, depression and anxiety have afflicted college students at alarming rates. As noted in the latest Center for Collegiate Mental Health report, anxiety and depression are the top reasons that college students seek counseling.

Research shows that nearly 1 in 5 university students are affected with anxiety or depression.

So why are these disorders so prevalent in our college students? As a professor of psychiatry and a practicing psychiatrist who has experience with mental health problems among college students, I see a number of factors.

Dangers in technology

Social media and technology are among the most dangerous of these factors. Excessive use of each tends to engender impaired social interactions and an increased sense of isolation.

Excessive social media use also fosters a certain competition between one's real life and one's virtual life. That is, a tug of war between being engrossed in posting experiences on social media, sending texts and taking selfies instead of enjoying the moment for what it's worth.

Many college students are living dual virtual and real lives, and the virtual life is competing and at times becomes more important than real life. This is not only something that those of us in the trenches see clinically but it has been well- documented in research studies.

Several other studies have found that mobile phone addiction, as well as excess smartphone use, is also associated with increased sleep disturbance, depression, anxiety and overall stress.

For example, one study found that almost 50 percent of college students indicated they woke up at night to answer text messages. The same study found that the more people use technology during their sleeping hours, the poorer the quality of their sleep and the higher their rates of depression and anxiety.

Seeking out drugs

But there are other culprits, such as the desire to get into a good college - and stay in college with good grades. To attain these goals, it is not uncommon for students and their parents to seek chemical assistance.

In the past five years, the number of requests I receive from high school and college students and their parents for stimulants such as Ritalin and Adderall has skyrocketed. A decade ago, I rarely, if ever, got such a request. Now, I get several per month. These requests are often made prior to taking major exams, such as finals, the MCAT or the LSAT. For those who are curious, I never acquiesce to these requests and instead recommend a comprehensive psychiatric assessment to make an accurate diagnosis and determine the most appropriate treatment, if one is necessary. The conversation often stops there.

G. Campbell/Shutterstock

While these medicines can be very effective and safely prescribed in patients with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, there is considerable risk when they are used for other reasons. It is well-known that side effects from Ritalin and Adderall include anxiety and depression. This risk is even higher in people taking the medicine for an unapproved reason or who do not take the medicine as prescribed.

Another factor at play is that rates of depression in our society have increased significantly over the past 20 years. This means more parents of college students have higher rates of depression. And since depression has a significant genetic component, the risk for depression in the children of a depressed parent is much higher than in the general population.

College students who reported being victims of cyberbullying in high school - which has nearly doubled in the past decade - also had significantly higher rates of anxiety and depression.

Cigarette smoking has been associated with significantly more sleep problems in college students and increased risk for depression and anxiety. Fortunately, the rate of cigarette smoking and e-cigarette use continues to decline with the rate of past-month use declining to around 16 percent of college students in 2016.

College students with a history of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder also have much higher rates of anxiety and depression. It is estimated that between 2 to 8 percent of college students struggle with symptoms of this disorder.

Other stressors

Moreover, while going to college can be exciting for many, for some the adjustment is hard with profound homesickness and separation anxiety. These students are at very high risk for depression and anxiety.

Financial stresses brought about by the rising cost of college, including the dread of debt and fear of not getting a job after college and having to move back in with mom and dad after graduation, are associated with increased risk for depression and anxiety in college students.

In the past, it was taken for granted that our children would surpass their parents. Now that is not so. Many college students believe that they will not be able to accomplish as much as their parents did. There is a sense of frustration and that there are no "good" jobs out there anymore.

Parents are also more involved in their children's college and work experience. It is not uncommon for parents to call college counselors, bosses and work managers. Once that would have been absolutely off-limits. Now, this is commonplace.

Such parental overinvolvement can foster dependence, anxiety and depression, and thwart creativity. I do not mean to blame parents who are concerned and who want the best for their children. However, sometimes failing or not getting an A on a test can be more instructive and instill a sense of resilience and the ability to "bounce back."

So what do we do to curtail anxiety and depression among college students?

Help, hotlines and hope

Tough problems do not always yield simple, easy solutions. Having an insurance card, 24-hour helplines and hotlines can provide a false sense of security and belief that excellent care is available. However, one study that looked at mental health service use in university students found that even when universal access to mental health care is provided, most students with mental disorders do not get treatment.

The good news is that if we are proactive there is a solution that is cost-effective and that can work, but only if there is buy-in at every level of the particular university and society.

And, ironically, while technology can be a source of anxiety and depression, technology can also be used to treat depression. That is, computers, iPads and smartphones can be used to virtually bring a mental health professional to the student where he or she is, be that in their dorm room or off campus.

The key is recognizing those at highest risk and who are most vulnerable early. Colleges have to respond on day one and confront the stigma that still follows those with mental illness. Training peer support groups is vital. This is not something to be done in isolation but under the guidance, supervision, and training of experienced psychiatrists, psychologists and psychiatric social workers.

Most of all, students and parents need to know from the very beginning of the college experience that the physical and mental well-being of students matters. Colleges should let parents and students know that there are trained and qualified people who can help students at risk discreetly and confidentially.

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1 in 5 college students have anxiety or depression. Here's why

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Many of us think of college as a wondrous time of new experiences and great freedom to explore new ideas and find one's true self. In recent years, however, depression and anxiety have afflicted college students at alarming rates.

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Vision~Trust~Team~Respect

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This graphic describes the qualities I believe a successful leader must have.

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This is a resources for a real-life Student Life website.

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Student Life | Student Life | University of Colorado Colorado Springs

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These are many differences between a leader and a manager. A position will make you a a manager, but it is your colleagues that makes you a leader.

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For years we were taught that management has to do with forecasting, budgeting, planning and controlling. Managers were taught to manage, not to lead.

New supervisors and grizzled management veterans were taught how to assign work to subordinates, how to evaluate their teammates' work, how to counsel people on performance problems and how to hire and fire staff members. Everything we were taught about management assumed that the manager would know what to do and was calling the shots.

These days we understand that the old-fashioned view of a manager's duties is wholly insufficient for the new-millennium workplace.

Responsibility for a team of people and its success -- not to mention each team members' well-being and professional development -- is a big assignment to take on. Leadership has very little to do with controlling, budgeting and so on. It has little overlap with assigning work and evaluating it.

Our traditional view of management is task-based and mechanical. In that worldview, we don't think about topics like "How are my teammates holding up? Are they stressed out? Are they feeling good about the future and about the energy on the team?"

For years we pretended that human energy isn't a factor in a team's success, even though anybody who has ever been on any kind of team knows that the team energy, also known as trust level, is the whole ballgame!

We can use the carrot and the stick to get people to perform for a while but eventually, if they don't care about the mission, about their leader and/or about one another, the team will fracture and lose steam. It's inevitable! Today we know that empathetic, trust-based human leadership is not only the most effective way to lead a team but also the most profitable way to run a company.

Here are five enormous differences between managers and leaders. If you hold a leadership role now or aspire to do so in the future, think about steps you can take in each of these areas.
Mission
The traditional view of management assumes that a manager's job is to run an apparatus -- perhaps a corporate Credit Department or a team of programmers. There are clear inputs and outputs and expected results from the engine each manager is responsible for. The manager's job is to keep the machine running smoothly.

In that worldview, the people on the manager's team are essentially machine parts. They are interchangeable. Once they are hired into a role, their job is to perform that role (to run their piece of the machine) according to goals and standards that preceded them and that will outlast their tenure in the job. The presumption is that the machine is more important and more powerful than anyone who helps to run it.

Leadership takes just the opposite view! The energy on your team powers everything you will accomplish.

The machine can change whenever it makes sense to change it, even many times a day. Maybe your machine should change, or maybe it's time to junk the machine and invent something totally new. People are creative. Machines in general are not.

Leaders allow people to design their own jobs as much as possible and to put their own stamp on their jobs.

A leader is not working to achieve machine-like process perfection to be repeated over and over until the end of time.

A leader and his or her team have a mission. They all know what the mission is and they know their piece in it. Maybe at one point your mission is to replace your outdated Credit Department procedures with new procedures that are faster and simpler. Apart from the fact that they have a job and need the paycheck, your teammates know what the Credit Department modernization means for customers, for themselves and for the company.

A mission has a beginning, a middle and an end, no matter what the mission is. When you complete the mission, you'll start a new one.

Maybe your mission is to produce an off-Broadway play or to invent a better mousetrap. Leadership is inextricable from a specific mission that people are excited about. Without a mission, there is no place to lead your team toward! Without a mission, where are you headed?

Who can get excited about doing the same things day after day, year after year, to no visible end except to make a few executives rich? There has to be more to the mission than that, and part of a leader's job is to explore and exalt the connections between his or her team's mission and each team member's personal mission.

This is why I write about plugging into your power source at work, whether that means using a different part of your brain or getting to teach what you know or another element that important to you. We all need that power jolt at work. We all deserve it, too!
Self-Awareness
The old-fashioned, command-and-control view of management did not require that a manager look in the mirror, but leadership requires that activity of a leader every day.

A leader is someone who get outside his or her busy brain to see him- or herself rather than being controlled by his or her emotions, especially fear.

Fear is the emotion that makes managers freak out and bring the hammer down. It makes some of them yell at subordinates or put the fear of termination into them so that people skulk around in terror that they'll make a mistake.

That kind of management is prevalent but it is the opposite of leadership. Leaders have the confidence to lead through trust. They don't have to make threats. They can say, "I hired you and you chose to work with me so obviously we both trust one another, and that's good because we will need that trust! I won't second-guess you. I hope you won't second-guess me. We'll talk about everything we need to talk about. You'll know your job much better than I do. I will learn from you and with luck you might learn something from me."

Leaders know they are not always right. They have enough self-esteem to say, "Did I say that last week? I must have missed my morning coffee because that was not what I meant to say. No, don't do what I said -- you're right, do what you know is best. Thank you for clarifying that point. Always tell me when I say something off-the-wall like that. I appreciate it!"
Risk And Trust
Trusting a person you are not in love with or related to requires you to take a risk. In the accepted view of management, there is no such risk, because the manager by virtue of his or her position has all the authority. In our modern view of leadership, there is risk. You might trust the wrong person. So what? That's how you'll learn. You won't learn anything if you never trust yourself enough to put your trust in people around you.

Leadership requires you to rely on someone else without threatening them or offering them rewards if they do what you want them to do.

You have to trust their instincts and trust yourself to put your faith in someone who isn't you. That is hard for a lot of managers, and it is something we should talk about more than we do at staff meetings and management training sessions.

We should talk about how scary it is at times to stop calling the shots and stop being the boss, and to let the brilliant people on your team carry the ball.
Two-Way Learning
Leadership rests on trust and learning. When your team is powered by mojo and feeling good, the learning will be palpable. People will say, "Oh, dang! I just realized that your idea for the product brochure could be an amazing video, too! Want to collaborate on that?" All it takes for people to come alive at work is trust. When people are wary of sharing their ideas, it's because they don't trust that their good ideas will be handled with care. That isn't a failing on the part of the wary person.

We learn best through our experiences and the old expression "Once bitten, twice shy" is nowhere truer than at work.

If the trust level on your team is too low to support collaboration, it's vital for you as a manager to figure out what energetic logjam is causing that problem and dismantle it.

People have good antennae. When they don't trust you, the company or one another, it means you have trust-building work to do!

When your Team Mojo level is right, you will learn from your teammates, they will learn from you and all of you will learn from one another.

If the manager is always the subject matter expert, too, then something in your environment is out of whack. That's a waste of incredible life experience, insight and perspective that only a group of switched-on collaborators can bring to bear on your organization's challenges.
Find Your Voice And Speak Your Truth
The last difference between managers and leaders is that being a manager in the old-school view doesn't require a manager to find her voice and speak her truth.

I went to countless management training sessions as a young supervisor. We learned about rules and procedures and time management.

Nobody ever told us "At times it will be scary to tell your boss something s/he doesn't want to hear, but you have to do it anyway -- that's how you'll grow muscles and grow your credibility."

We didn't talk about that. We didn't talk about the critical, soft-and-squishy parts of leadership. We had to learn those things for ourselves.

Now we are all coming out of the closet. We are all becoming aware together of the wonderful fact that going to work doesn't mean leaving your personality at the door.

Even though there are messages hitting us from all directions at work telling us to hush up, pipe down and go along with broken systems and broken thinking, we don't have to listen.

You may stay quiet for a while because it's easier to bite your lip than to start a conversation that might tag you as a troublemaker, but before long it will hit you that you have to find your voice.

You have to say what you feel or else you'll feel like you're taking a paycheck for the service of hiding your true personality and playing the part of someone who is only half as smart and half as human as you are.

You'll get tired of that deal one day. You are too mighty to be a doormat, and it won't help your customers or shareholders for you to stay silent when there are topics that desperately need airtime.

Speak up! That's what leaders do. Everyone is a leader, and everyone is CEO of his or her career. You run your life and your career.

What is your vision? What is your first step in reaching it?

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Management Vs. Leadership: Five Ways They Are Different

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For years we were taught that management has to do with forecasting, budgeting, planning and controlling. Managers were taught to manage, not to lead. New supervisors and grizzled management veterans were taught how to assign work to subordinates, how to evaluate their teammates' work, how to counsel people on performance problems and how to hire and fire staff members.

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In education, parental involvement is highly important to success in students. At the college level, students are now adults, but we must stress the importance of family connections and support. Especially during stressful times such as mid-terms and finals.

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American Education Week (AEW) is celebrated each year during the last full week before Thanksgiving. Founded by the National Education Association (NEA) and The American Legion in 1921, with the U.S. Department of Education joining in 1922, AEW was created in response to 25 percent of World War I draftees being illiterate and nine percent deemed physically unfit to serve their country.

In its resolution, NEA called for "an educational week... observed in all communities annually for the purpose of informing the public of the accomplishments and needs of the public schools and to secure the cooperation and support of the public in meeting those needs."

Today, American Education Week is co-sponsored by National PTA and 11 other national education organizations. The theme for this year's celebration is Great Public Schools: A Basic Right and Our Responsibility, a renewed call to all citizens-parents, teachers, education support professionals, elected officials, community leaders, and yes, students-to make our schools great for all Americans.

As part of the weeklong celebration, Tuesday, Nov. 18 has been designated "Parents Day" to encourage parents to visit their child's school and spotlight the importance of family engagement in education.

While the nation and our public education system have changed a lot since 1921, one factor-family engagement-remains critical to student achievement. Ongoing research shows that family engagement in schools improves student achievement, reduces absenteeism, and restores parents' confidence in their children's education. Students with involved parents or other caregivers earn higher grades and test scores, have better social skills, and show improved behavior.

Becoming active in a school's parent group is an important way to increase involvement. Involvement also encompasses:

Setting goals with children and fostering achievement of those goals;

Accessing and using children's academic scores to ensure they're on track;

Frequently viewing the parent portal (or whichever tool their school uses);

Developing a relationship with children's teachers and keeping in touch with them often; and

Advocating for improvements in the school building and with local school boards and state and federal government to ensure schools have the resources they need to provide a world class education to every student.

The most significant type of involvement is what parents do at home. By monitoring, supporting and advocating, parents can be engaged in ways that ensure that their children have every opportunity for success.

As the leaders of the nation's largest education and child advocacy associations, we have seen firsthand the positive impact of family engagement on student success and school improvement. We encourage all parents to take an active role in their children's education on "Parents Day" and all year round.

Great schools are a basic right and our shared responsibility. To all parents and families, "thank you" for being part of the education team. Find out more on how parents and families can contribute to student success by visiting the National Education Association and the National Parent Teacher Association.
Lily Eskelsen García is president of the National Education Association. Otha Thornton is president of the National Parent Teacher Association.

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The Enduring Importance of Parental Involvement

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American Education Week (AEW) is celebrated each year during the last full week before Thanksgiving. Founded by the National Education Association (NEA) and The American Legion in 1921, with the U.S. Department of Education joining in 1922, AEW was created in response to 25 percent of World War I draftees being illiterate and nine percent deemed physically unfit to serve their country.

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Relationships and building connections are important to being a successful leader. This video explains the benefits of Relational Leadership

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Among being a specialist in many things, a teacher is a mentor and a learning facilitator

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September 2007 | Volume 65 | Number 1
Teachers as Leaders Pages 74-77

Cindy Harrison and Joellen Killion

Teacher leaders assume a wide range of roles to support school and student success. Whether these roles are assigned formally or shared informally, they build the entire school's capacity to improve. Because teachers can lead in a variety of ways, many teachers can serve as leaders among their peers.

So what are some of the leadership options available to teachers? The following 10 roles are a sampling of the many ways teachers can contribute to their schools' success.

1. Resource Provider

Teachers help their colleagues by sharing instructional resources. These might include Web sites, instructional materials, readings, or other resources to use with students. They might also share such professional resources as articles, books, lesson or unit plans, and assessment tools.

Tinisha becomes a resource provider when she offers to help Carissa, a new staff member in her second career, set up her classroom. Tinisha gives Carissa extra copies of a number line for her students to use, signs to post on the wall that explain to students how to get help when the teacher is busy, and the grade-level language arts pacing guide.

2. Instructional Specialist

An instructional specialist helps colleagues implement effective teaching strategies. This help might include ideas for differentiating instruction or planning lessons in partnership with fellow teachers. Instructional specialists might study research-based classroom strategies (Marzano, Pickering, & Pollock, 2001); explore which instructional methodologies are appropriate for the school; and share findings with colleagues.

When his fellow science teachers share their frustration with students' poorly written lab reports, Jamal suggests that they invite several English teachers to recommend strategies for writing instruction. With two English teachers serving as instructional specialists, the science teachers examine a number of lab reports together and identify strengths and weaknesses. The English teachers share strategies they use in their classes to improve students' writing.

3. Curriculum Specialist

Understanding content standards, how various components of the curriculum link together, and how to use the curriculum in planning instruction and assessment is essential to ensuring consistent curriculum implementation throughout a school. Curriculum specialists lead teachers to agree on standards, follow the adopted curriculum, use common pacing charts, and develop shared assessments.

Tracy, the world studies team leader, works with the five language arts and five social studies teachers in her school. Using standards in English and social studies as their guides, the team members agree to increase the consistency in their classroom curriculums and administer common assessments. Tracy suggests that the team develop a common understanding of the standards and agrees to facilitate the development and analysis of common quarterly assessments.

4. Classroom Supporter

Classroom supporters work inside classrooms to help teachers implement new ideas, often by demonstrating a lesson, coteaching, or observing and giving feedback. Blase and Blase (2006) found that consultation with peers

enhanced teachers' self-efficacy (teachers' belief in their own abilities and capacity to successfully solve teaching and learning problems) as they reflected on practice and grew together, and it also encouraged a bias for action (improvement through collaboration) on the part of teachers. (p. 22)

Marcia asks Yolanda for classroom support in implementing nonlinguistic representation strategies, such as graphic organizers, manipulatives, and kinesthetic activities (Marzano et al., 2001). Yolanda agrees to plan and teach a lesson with Marcia that integrates several relevant strategies. They ask the principal for two half-days of professional release time, one for learning more about the strategy and planning a lesson together, and the other for coteaching the lesson to Marcia's students and discussing it afterward.

5. Learning Facilitator

Facilitating professional learning opportunities among staff members is another role for teacher leaders. When teachers learn with and from one another, they can focus on what most directly improves student learning. Their professional learning becomes more relevant, focused on teachers' classroom work, and aligned to fill gaps in student learning. Such communities of learning can break the norms of isolation present in many schools.

Frank facilitates the school's professional development committee and serves as the committee's language arts representative. Together, teachers plan the year's professional development program using a backmapping model (Killion, 2001). This model begins with identifying student learning needs, teachers' current level of knowledge and skills in the target areas, and types of learning opportunities that different groups of teachers need. The committee can then develop and implement a professional development plan on the basis of their findings.

6. Mentor

Serving as a mentor for novice teachers is a common role for teacher leaders. Mentors serve as role models; acclimate new teachers to a new school; and advise new teachers about instruction, curriculum, procedure, practices, and politics. Being a mentor takes a great deal of time and expertise and makes a significant contribution to the development of a new professional.

Ming is a successful teacher in her own 1st grade classroom, but she has not assumed a leadership role in the school. The principal asks her to mentor her new teammate, a brand-new teacher and a recent immigrant from the Philippines. Ming prepares by participating in the district's three-day training on mentoring. Her role as a mentor will not only include helping her teammate negotiate the district, school, and classroom, but will also include acclimating her colleague to the community. Ming feels proud as she watches her teammate develop into an accomplished teacher.

7. School Leader

Being a school leader means serving on a committee, such as a school improvement team; acting as a grade-level or department chair; supporting school initiatives; or representing the school on community or district task forces or committees. A school leader shares the vision of the school, aligns his or her professional goals with those of the school and district, and shares responsibility for the success of the school as a whole.

Joshua, staff sponsor of the student council, offers to help the principal engage students in the school improvement planning process. The school improvement team plans to revise its nearly 10-year-old vision and wants to ensure that students' voices are included in the process. Joshua arranges a daylong meeting for 10 staff members and 10 students who represent various views of the school experience, from nonattenders to grade-level presidents. Joshua works with the school improvement team facilitator to ensure that the activities planned for the meeting are appropriate for students so that students will actively participate.

8. Data Coach

Although teachers have access to a great deal of data, they do not often use that data to drive classroom instruction. Teacher leaders can lead conversations that engage their peers in analyzing and using this information to strengthen instruction.

Carol, the 10th grade language arts team leader, facilitates a team of her colleagues as they look at the results of the most recent writing sample, a teacher-designed assessment given to all incoming 10th grade students. Carol guides teachers as they discuss strengths and weaknesses of students' writing performance as a group, as individuals, by classrooms, and in disaggregated clusters by race, gender, and previous school. They then plan instruction on the basis of this data.

9. Catalyst for Change

Teacher leaders can also be catalysts for change, visionaries who are "never content with the status quo but rather always looking for a better way" (Larner, 2004, p. 32). Teachers who take on the catalyst role feel secure in their own work and have a strong commitment to continual improvement. They pose questions to generate analysis of student learning.

In a faculty meeting, Larry expresses a concern that teachers may be treating some students differently from others. Students who come to him for extra assistance have shared their perspectives, and Larry wants teachers to know what students are saying. As his colleagues discuss reasons for low student achievement, Larry challenges them to explore data about the relationship between race and discipline referrals in the school. When teachers begin to point fingers at students, he encourages them to examine how they can change their instructional practices to improve student engagement and achievement.

10. Learner

Among the most important roles teacher leaders assume is that of learner. Learners model continual improvement, demonstrate lifelong learning, and use what they learn to help all students achieve.

Manuela, the school's new bilingual teacher, is a voracious learner. At every team or faculty meeting, she identifies something new that she is trying in her classroom. Her willingness to explore new strategies is infectious. Other teachers, encouraged by her willingness to discuss what works and what doesn't, begin to talk about their teaching and how it influences student learning. Faculty and team meetings become a forum in which teachers learn from one another. Manuela's commitment to and willingness to talk about learning break down barriers of isolation that existed among teachers.

Roles for All

Teachers exhibit leadership in multiple, sometimes overlapping, ways. Some leadership roles are formal with designated responsibilities. Other more informal roles emerge as teachers interact with their peers. The variety of roles ensures that teachers can find ways to lead that fit their talents and interests. Regardless of the roles they assume, teacher leaders shape the culture of their schools, improve student learning, and influence practice among their peers.

References

Blase, J., & Blase, J. (2006). Teachers bringing out the best in teachers: A guide to peer consultation for administrators and teachers. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

Killion, J. (2001). What works in elementary schools: Results-based staff development. Oxford, OH: National Staff Development Council.

Larner, M. (2004). Pathways: Charting a course for professional learning. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

Marzano, R., Pickering, D., & Pollock, J. (2001). Classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

Authors' note: The 10 roles are described in more detail in Taking the Lead: New Roles for Teachers and School-Based Coaches by J. Killion and C. Harrison, 2006, Oxford, OH: National Staff Development Council. Although the names have been changed, all examples are based on actual teachers we encountered in our research.

Cindy Harrison ( crh@instructimprove.org) is an independent consultant, Instructional Improvement Group, 305 West 6th Ave., Broomfield, CO 80020. Joellen Killion ( Joellen.Killion@nsdc.org) is Deputy Executive Director, National Staff Development Council, 10931 West 71st Place, Arvada, CO 80004.

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September 2007 | Volume 65 | Number 1 Teachers as Leaders Pages 74-77 Cindy Harrison and Joellen Killion Teacher leaders assume a wide range of roles to support school and student success. Whether these roles are assigned formally or shared informally, they build the entire school's capacity to improve.

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Self-reflect is need for personal and professional growth.

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When was the last time you took a moment to reflect on your life? Maybe it was at the end of December when you were getting ready to welcome the new year (we all love a little end-of-the-year reflecting, right?). Other than that, there aren't many times when we might feel compelled to spend time in self-reflection.

The truth is that many of us are so busy trying to move forward with our lives that we rarely take a moment to slow down and be at one with our thoughts. Plus, we often don't recognize the importance of self-reflection and the impact it can have on our lives.
What if we made self-reflection part of our everyday routine instead of a yearly thing?
In my opinion, self-reflection is one of the best ways that you can shift your mindset, increase positivity in your life, and discover a greater connection to yourself.

Self-reflection has helped me to understand more about the way that I respond to situations, to not be completely oblivious to my faults, and to find ways that I can deal with situations positively instead of letting them consume me.

Today, I want to share what self-reflection really means and why being a reflective person is so important for a positive mindset.

What is self-reflection?

Self-reflection is the process of bringing your attention to what's happening in your life in a mindful and open-minded way.

Self-reflection is all about creating self-awareness. So many of us focus on getting ahead that we don't necessarily take time to reflect on what's going on within us.

There are many ways to practice self-reflection, but I've always used writing as a way to process my thoughts and feelings. Journaling has helped me to learn more about myself by identifying patterns, habits, and regular themes that come up my life. If I never took the time to get my thoughts out of my head, I probably would not be the positive person that I am today.

Why is self-reflection important?

Self-reflection is one of the best things you can do to create a positive mindset and discover a greater connection to yourself. Here are seven reasons why you should make self-reflection a priority in your life:

1. To make sense of things

"There is no greater journey than the one that you must take to discover all of the mysteries that lie within you." - Michelle Sandlin

Self-reflection can help you process your thoughts and feelings. When we keep our thoughts floating around in our heads, we only confuse or frustrate ourselves more. Getting your thoughts on paper can help you understand why you're feeling a certain way and make those feelings a little easier to navigate.

Read This Next: A Simple Mindset Shift To Calm Anxious Thoughts

2. To uncover breakthroughs

"The soul usually knows what to do to heal itself. The challenge is to silence the mind." - Caroline Myss

Whenever I write, I end up with some sort of solution to my problems. I recognize what I need to do next because everything is laid out in front of me. When we keep thinking the same thoughts over and over without taking action, we see our problems as bigger than they really are. By taking a moment to pause, reflect, and look within, you'll find that you actually have many of the answers you've been seeking for so long.

Read This Next: 25 Self-Reflection Quotes for Harnessing Your Inner Power from Jen at Aim Happy

3. To challenge your thoughts

"Don't believe everything you think." - Byron Katie

Self-reflection offers us the opportunity to challenge our ways of thinking. Most of us have a tendency to ruminate on the bad things; for example, our perceived weaknesses, mistakes we've made, or embarrassing moments. When you actually take the time to reflect and write these things down, it's important to ask yourself if you really believe them. Eventually, you'll start to realize that the things you tell yourself about yourself are not always true.

Read This Next: How To Move Past Self-Doubt And Do That Thing Anyway

4. To recognize change + track progress

"Self-reflection is so healthy. When I record the details of what I'm going through, whether it's a relationship issue or negative thoughts, I can look back and see how far I've come. It makes me proud to see my progress and how I got through a bad situation." - Kelly Rowland

Self-reflection allows us to look back and see where we've come from. If you take the time to write down a few thoughts about your day, you can look back on it in weeks, months, or years later and see how much has changed. This can help you recognize that the things you were so worried about before were perhaps not so significant.

5. To increase self-awareness

"Change requires two things: a goal, and an awareness of where one currently is in order to assess the discrepancy between the two." - Psychology Today

If you're on your own self-improvement journey, you need to know both where you're going and where you are right now. Without self-awareness, we can't fully understand our emotions, values, goals, or strengths. I've learned so much about myself simply by reflecting on the place I'm at right now and considering how it will help me get to where I want to be.

Read This Next: Why Self-Awareness Is Your Greatest Asset

6. To inspire self-acceptance

"The journey into self-love and self-acceptance must begin with self-examination... until you take the journey of self-reflection, it is almost impossible to grow or learn in life." - Iyanla Vanzant

I'm all about POSITIVE self-reflection and making sure that if I ever say or write something negative about myself, I follow it up with something good. This has helped me to increase my self-acceptance and keep going even when I doubt myself.

For example, I was having one of those days when I kept comparing myself to everyone. In my mind, I was telling myself that I wasn't beautiful or pretty enough. I started to write because I knew this was something I needed to let go of. As I started to write down my feelings, I began to wonder WHY I needed to believe I was *pretty*. What importance did that have in my life? It seemed so inconsequential to who I am as a person. I started to write, "I just have to be confident in myself and know that I AM beautiful, inside and out."

Read This Next: 5 Tips For Dealing With Your Inner Critic

7. To live with more intention

"When you're living deliberately, you're living from a position of responsibility; you're making choices with greater awareness." - Lauren Mackler

Reflecting on what's going on in your life can simply serve as a reminder of what you do on a daily basis. Most of our days end up blending into one another, so regular reflection can be an opportunity to show you that the days are different. On the other hand, it can encourage you to think about how you can add more joy and fun into your daily life.

Read This Next: How To Add More Mindfulness Into Your Everyday

How Do You Practice Self-Reflection?

I hope this post has encouraged you to make self-reflection a bigger part of your life Remember that reflection is not about overthinking or focusing on the past - this is a time to connect with yourself and uncover your hidden depths!
Up next: How to make self-reflection a practice in your life

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Why You Should Make Time For Self-Reflection

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When was the last time you took a moment to reflect on your life? Maybe it was at the end of December when you were getting ready to welcome the new year (we all love a little end-of-the-year reflecting, right?). Other than that, there aren't many times when we might feel compelled to spend time in self-reflection.

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Being able to control and read emotions is important to creating relationships, make rational decisions, and listen to other team members.

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maetrix | Emotionally Intelligent Leadership

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See also Leadership Styles

Introduction
The capability of people to perform the work or job that they do falls into three areas:
Technical skills - which includes technical expertise e.g. accountancy skills.
Intellectual capability - which is commonly known as IQ, or cognitive abilities.
Emotional capability - often referred to as emotional intelligence or EI.
Whilst a significant amount of information, research and education exists in the fields of technical skills and intellectual capability, the area of Emotional Intelligence remains largely untouched.

What is Emotional Intelligence?
Emotional intelligence is the ability to recognise, understand and manage emotions in ourselves and others.
Emotional Intelligence is divided into the four clusters of Self-Awareness, Self-Management, Social Awareness and Relationship Management (often been referred to very broadly as "people skills" in years gone by).

Daniel Goleman, a leader in this field, has identified that successful managers and leaders possess a high percentage of emotional intelligence. By successful we mean those who have;
Achieved better financial results,
Developed more effective and supportive organisational climates or culture and
Achieved higher productivity gains with their workforce.
Goleman's (1998) findings also indicated that Emotional Intelligence contributes 80 to 90% of the competencies that distinguish outstanding leaders from average leaders.

The behaviours identified include;
the ability to recognise and understand their own moods, emotions and drives as well as their effect on others;
the ability to control or redirect disruptive impulses, moods and to think before acting;
the passion to work for reasons beyond money or status and the propensity to pursue goals with energy and persistence;
the ability to understand the emotional makeup of other people and the skill in treating people according to their emotional reactions; the proficiency in managing relationships, building networks and the ability to find common ground and build rapport.

EI on the other hand can be learned at any age. Growing your competency in EI is not easy or quick, as it takes perseverance in the process of critical self-evaluation, commitment to improvement and of course behavioural practice.

It is also important to note, that competence in Emotional Intelligence does not necessarily increase with age as you might expect. Some people may learn from life's experiences, but many do not.

Emotional Intelligence

Figure 1. Goleman's Emotional Intelligence Model (2002)

Self-Awareness:
The core of Emotional Intelligence is self-awareness. Self-awareness is comprised of three competencies;
emotional self-awareness, where you are able to read and understand your emotions as well as recognise their impact on work performance and relationships;
accurate self-assessment, where you are able to give a realistic evaluation of your strengths and limitations;
self-confidence, where you have a positive and strong sense of one's self-worth.
The starting point and key in these areas is the ability to be critically self-reflective.

Self-Management:
Self-management is comprised of five competencies;
Self-control, which is keeping disruptive emotions and impulses under control;
transparency, which is maintaining standards of honesty and integrity, managing yourself and responsibilities;
adaptability, which is the flexibility in adapting to changing situations and overcoming obstacles;
achievement orientation, which is the guiding drive to meet an internal standard of excellence;
initiative, which is the readiness to seize opportunities and act.

Social Awareness:
Social Awareness is comprised of three competencies;
empathy, which is understanding others and taking an active interest in their concerns;
organisational awareness, which is the ability to read the currents of organisational life, build decision networks and navigate politics;
service orientation, which is recognising and meeting customers needs.

Relationship Management:
The Social cluster of Relationship Management is comprised of seven competencies;
visionary leadership, which is inspiring and guiding groups and individuals;
developing others, which is the propensity to strengthen and support the abilities of others through feedback and guidance;
influence, which is the ability to exercise a wide range of persuasive strategies with integrity, and also includes listening and sending clear, convincing and well-tuned messages;
change catalyst, which is the proficiency in initiating new ideas and leading people in a new direction;
conflict management, which is resolving disagreements and collaboratively developing resolutions; building bonds, which is building and maintaining relationships with others;
teamwork and collaboration, which is the promotion of cooperation and building of teams.

Research also supports the view that competence in Emotional Intelligence accounts for over 90% of the difference between ineffective leaders and effective leadership performance.

Effective leadership improves business performance and provides organisations with a competitive advantage.

To implement this strategy you first need to define what the core capabilities your business requires to achieve its vision, values and business strategies which includes Emotional Intelligence clusters and competencies. You will also need to identify the more specific competency profiles for positions within the organisation.

This capability framework and competency profiles, then forms the basis for your performance management system in conjunction with your Key Performance Indicators. The performance management system then becomes a mechanism for driving and achieving changes in the workplace.

The Emotional Intelligence Development Programs provided by mætrîx® ® provide a structured pathway to improve the individuals self-awareness, their self-management and the way they interact with people and develop relationships. In other words it will grow their Emotional Intelligence.

If you do not have a "core" capability framework for your staff, there are still benefits in introducing Emotional Intelligence development programs. These are seen primarily through improved leadership and interpersonal relationships and as a result improved business performance. See
Leadership Styles

So, what is critical self-reflection? Most people would be familiar with reflection, which is the analysis of one's beliefs. We also have critical reflection, which is the analysis of the assumptions on which our beliefs are built. But the area we are most interested in is Critical Self-Reflection, which is the analysis of the way we pose problems to ourselves and of our own structure of assumptions that we use as a reference for interpreting our experiences.

Effective critical self-reflection requires you to question yourself and the assumptions you make on an ongoing basis. This can be demonstrated through the three (3) why? Test, that is where you ask "Why" down three levels from the item you are analysing.
For example, I have been asked to present a workshop to one hundred people on a subject I know very well, and I have said no.
(1) Why did I say no? Because I would not feel comfortable doing it.
(2) Why do you feel uncomfortable about doing it? Because I might look incompetent.
(3) Why do you feel you would look incompetent? Because people in the audience may know more than I do.

The answer to this question is based on assumptions, and we need to challenge these assumptions to check their validity. If the assumptions are invalid and we change that assumption and therefore our perspective then transformational learning has occurred.

See Emancipatory Learning
Developing transformational learning in others is called emancipatory learning. At mætrîx® we have structured our emancipatory learning programs to cover the foundations of the Emotional Intelligence Self and Social clusters.
Products & Services

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Emotional Intelligence | maetrix | Emotionally Intelligent Leadership

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See also Leadership Styles Introduction The capability of people to perform the work or job that they do falls into three areas: Technical skills - which includes technical expertise e.g. accountancy skills. Intellectual capability - which is commonly known as IQ, or cognitive abilities. Emotional capability - often referred to as emotional intelligence or EI.