Working with teams, clients, and colleagues to get the important things done is simply part of your job as a leader. Are you up to the task? Or, do you find yourself questioning, “How do I get the important things done with others?” 

There are all kinds of data in the manufacturing world and other parts of business.  We can give people information but at the end of the day people aren't convinced by our information. Instead, they're convinced by our conversations and interactions with them. 

 When it comes to engaging, encouraging, and collaborating with other humans, four key ideas, all relating to emotional intelligence come into play. These four key ideas include:  

• Self Awareness: Emotional self-awareness looks at whether or not you are aware of how you appear to other people.

• Empathy: “Are you really listening to people and understanding them?” This, in a nutshell, is practicing empathy.  

• Organizational Awareness: Organizational awareness is understanding the people in the organization and it also has an element of systems thinking.  

• Coaching and Mentoring: A key need we have in today's world and certainly moving forward is workforce development. So, the whole idea is can you effectively be a coach—to mentor and really develop people.

 Working with and leading humans is not only about having a great PowerPoint presentation to share your wonderful knowledge with colleagues. It is all about how you actually go about this process of talking and working with humans.