Many years ago I set out to understand more about others.

What makes people tick?

Why do they do what they do?

Why don’t they do what they are supposed to do?

By my late twenties I was a VP in an investment firm, President of the Security Traders Association of Florida, and felt like I was completely unsuccessful.

After an early-life crisis, I decided I needed to make a change. Making money for others just didn’t satisfy me. I wanted to do something that felt more meaningful.

So, I returned to school to pursue an MBA, where I maxed out the courses in organization and management in an effort to answer those questions that were burning—- what makes people tick? Why do they do what they do? Why don’t they do what they are supposed to do? And most importantly—- as a manager and leader, am I doing what I should be doing to be effective?

Some people call these ‘soft skills,’ which absolutely makes me cringe. These skills related to ourselves and others are the most difficult skills to master. They are the skills that are essential to be happy, productive people- in work and life in general. And we can develop the competencies we need to get better— at being self-aware, at managing ourselves well and making better decisions, and understanding others.

I sought out the person whose work in emotional intelligence resonated most with me, which is how I ended up at Case Western Reserve University studying emotional intelligence with Richard Boyatzis.

The framework for emotional intelligence that Richard created with his collaborator, Daniel Goleman, is action-based and is the one that guided me as I learned more about emotional intelligence and leadership, and is what led me to create my own assessment and an understanding of all things emotional and social within ourselves.

Now I am ready to share my understanding of how to be your best self with you.

Jo