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CHAPTER 5: LEADERSHIP MIND AND HEART 143
Second, facing reality means a commitment to the truth. Leaders are relentless
in uncovering the mental models that limit and deceive them and are willing to
challenge assumptions and ways of doing things. These leaders are committed
to the truth, and will break through denial of reality in themselves and others.
Their quest for truth leads to a deeper awareness of themselves and of the larger
systems and events within which they operate. Commitment to the truth enables
them to deal with reality, which increases the opportunity to achieve desired
results.
Third, often there is a large gap between one’s vision and the current situ-
ation. The gap between the desired future and today’s reality, say between the
dream of starting a business and the reality of having no capital, can be discourag-
ing. But the gap is the source of creative energy. Acknowledging and living with
the disparity between the truth and the vision, and facing it squarely, is the source
of resolve and creativity to move forward. The effective leader resolves the tension
by letting the vision pull reality toward it, in other words, by reorganizing cur-
rent activities to work toward the vision. The leader works in a way that moves
things toward the vision. The less effective way is to let reality pull the vision
downward toward it. This means lowering the vision, such as walking away from
a problem or settling for less than desired. Settling for less releases the tension, but
it also engenders mediocrity. Leaders with personal mastery learn to accept both
the dream and the reality simultaneously, and to close the gap by moving toward
the dream.
All fi ve elements of mind are interrelated. Independent thinking and open-
mindedness improve systems thinking and enable personal mastery, helping
leaders shift and expand their mental models. Since they are all interdependent, lead-
ers working to improve even one element of their mental approach can move
forward in a signifi cant way toward mastering their minds and becoming more
effective.

Emotional Intelligence—Leading with Heart and Mind
Psychologists and other researchers, as well as people in all walks of life, have
long recognized the importance of cognitive intelligence, or IQ, in determining a
person’s success and effectiveness. In general, research shows that leaders score
higher than most people on tests of cognitive ability, such as IQ tests, and that
cognitive ability is positively associated with effective leadership. Increasingly,
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leaders and researchers are recognizing the critical importance of emotional
intelligence, or EQ, as well. Some have suggested that emotion, more than cog-
nitive ability, drives our thinking and decision making, as well as our interper-
sonal relationships. Emotional intelligence refers to a person’s abilities to perceive, Emotional intelligence
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Emotional intelligence
a person’s abilities to perceive,
identify, understand, and successfully manage emotions in self and others. Being a person’s abilities to perceive,
identify, understand, and
emotionally intelligent means being able to effectively manage ourselves and our identify, understand, and
successfully manage emotions in
successfully manage emotions in
relationships. 39 self and others
self and others
Emotional understanding and skills impact our success and happiness in
our work as well as our personal lives. Leaders can harness and direct the
power of emotions to improve follower satisfaction, morale, and motivation,
as well as to enhance overall organizational effectiveness. The U.S. Air Force
started using EQ to select recruiters after learning that the best recruiters
scored higher in EQ competencies. Leaders who score high in EQ are typi-
cally more effective and rated as more effective by peers and subordinates.
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