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156 PART 3: THE PERSONAL SIDE OF LEADERSHIP

caring, and bliss; and as actions of helping, listening, and cooperating. Each of
these aspects of love has relevance for organizational relationships. People re-
spond to love because it meets unspoken needs for respect and affi rmation. Ratio-
nal thinking is important to leadership, but it takes love to build trust, creativity,
and enthusiasm.

Discussion Questions

1. How do you feel about developing the emotional qualities of yourself and other
people in the organization as a way to be an effective leader? Discuss.
2. Do you agree that people have a capacity for developing their minds and hearts
beyond current competency? Can you give an example? Discuss.
3. What are some specific reasons leaders need to be aware of their mental models?
4. Discuss the similarities and differences between mental models and open-
mindedness.
5. What is the concept of personal mastery? How important is it to a leader?
6. Which of the four elements of emotional intelligence do you consider most essential
to an effective leader? Why?
7. Consider fear and love as potential motivators. Which is the best source of motiva-
tion for soldiers during a war? For members of a new product development team?
For top executives at a media conglomerate? Why?
8. Have you ever experienced love and/or fear from leaders at work? How did you
respond?
9. Do you think it is appropriate for a leader to spend time developing a team’s emo-
tional intelligence? Why or why not?
10. Think about the class for which you are reading this text as a system. How
might making changes without whole-systems thinking cause problems for
students?

Leadership at Work

Mentors
Think of a time when someone reached out to you as a mentor or coach. This might have
been a time when you were having some difficulty, and the person who reached out would
have done so out of concern for you rather than for their own self interest.
Below, briefly describe the situation, who the mentor was, and what the mentor did
for you.

Mentoring comes from the heart, is a generous act, and is usually deeply appreciated
by the recipient. How does it feel to recall the situation in which a mentor assisted you?