You can sense something isn't right. The slight furrow in her brow, the ever so subtle lift of her shoulders, the quiet sigh and distant gaze. You know what to say, how to say it, when to say it, where to say it. You know what she needs; a pep talk, a gentle affirmation, a stern kick in the ass. It's a feeling you get, an understanding or an instinct about how someone is feeling, what they are thinking, and what they need. It's what I like to call, intuition; and sorry to break it to you, but not everyone has it.
It's a powerful gift, and something that those who have, hardly ever realize they possess. They are the natural born leaders, the people who simply know how to act, and what to say to get the outcome they desire. They are the master manipulators, the actors and actresses of the real world, capable of interpreting body language on the drop of a dime, and using that knowledge to impact action. They are people who have a high EQ (Emotional Quotient), or Emotional Intelligence.
I was visiting my uncle in San Francisco when I first heard the phrase "Emotional Intelligence". I knew what it was, as I spent the entirety of my life experiencing and trusting it, without ever being able to put a name to it. I never knew it was something that could be defined and valued, or something that not everyone possessed. My Uncle told me that in a world of geniuses, it's the person who knows how to interact with a variety of people that will often succeed. Since he's a wildly successful guy, I believed him. But it also made perfect sense.
Then I started coaching, and the light bulb that was emotional intelligence grew brighter within me. Interacting with people, managing, motivating, empowering, comforting, and at times berating; it's all part of the coaching game. You need to know when to push, when to hold back, when to hug, when to say "suck it up," when to have a good long talk, or when to keep it brief. You need to be able to read the athlete as they walk through the door to practice, and recognize immediately what they need from you that day in order to move forward and progress.
At this year's USTFCCCA Coaching Convention the women's coach at Iowa State, Andrea Grove-McDonough, formerly of UConn, spoke about her past successes and how she created a team of nobodies, into a team of somebodies at the national level. She prefaced her talk by emphasizing that her training was "nothing special," that she isn't a physiologist or sports scientist who measures and calculates every little thing. Rather, she is someone who is merely good at interacting with people. She is fiery mix of compassion and realism. But most importantly, she knows how to read a person on the spot and react in a way that encourages growth, and ultimately confidence in their capability to perform.
Some people scoffed at her. Some people shook their Jack Daniel's bibles and McMillan pace calculators at her in rage. But the good coaches in the room nodded and smiled.
A mentor of mine used a phrase that I love and repeat as often as possible with my own athletes,
"Happy people run fast."
Not phrased as "runners," but more specifically "people." Wholly fulfilled, engaged, supported, and understood people perform to the best of their potential. But how do people find that support and understanding? They find it through coaches who have the gift of intuition. They find it through coaches who are self-aware and can demonstrate self-control in every situation, and who simply know WHAT to say and HOW to say it.
To read more about the fascinating topic of Emotional Intelligence take a look at the article below, which inspired this blog post:
It's a powerful gift, and something that those who have, hardly ever realize they possess. They are the natural born leaders, the people who simply know how to act, and what to say to get the outcome they desire. They are the master manipulators, the actors and actresses of the real world, capable of interpreting body language on the drop of a dime, and using that knowledge to impact action. They are people who have a high EQ (Emotional Quotient), or Emotional Intelligence.
I was visiting my uncle in San Francisco when I first heard the phrase "Emotional Intelligence". I knew what it was, as I spent the entirety of my life experiencing and trusting it, without ever being able to put a name to it. I never knew it was something that could be defined and valued, or something that not everyone possessed. My Uncle told me that in a world of geniuses, it's the person who knows how to interact with a variety of people that will often succeed. Since he's a wildly successful guy, I believed him. But it also made perfect sense.
Then I started coaching, and the light bulb that was emotional intelligence grew brighter within me. Interacting with people, managing, motivating, empowering, comforting, and at times berating; it's all part of the coaching game. You need to know when to push, when to hold back, when to hug, when to say "suck it up," when to have a good long talk, or when to keep it brief. You need to be able to read the athlete as they walk through the door to practice, and recognize immediately what they need from you that day in order to move forward and progress.
At this year's USTFCCCA Coaching Convention the women's coach at Iowa State, Andrea Grove-McDonough, formerly of UConn, spoke about her past successes and how she created a team of nobodies, into a team of somebodies at the national level. She prefaced her talk by emphasizing that her training was "nothing special," that she isn't a physiologist or sports scientist who measures and calculates every little thing. Rather, she is someone who is merely good at interacting with people. She is fiery mix of compassion and realism. But most importantly, she knows how to read a person on the spot and react in a way that encourages growth, and ultimately confidence in their capability to perform.
Some people scoffed at her. Some people shook their Jack Daniel's bibles and McMillan pace calculators at her in rage. But the good coaches in the room nodded and smiled.
A mentor of mine used a phrase that I love and repeat as often as possible with my own athletes,
"Happy people run fast."
Not phrased as "runners," but more specifically "people." Wholly fulfilled, engaged, supported, and understood people perform to the best of their potential. But how do people find that support and understanding? They find it through coaches who have the gift of intuition. They find it through coaches who are self-aware and can demonstrate self-control in every situation, and who simply know WHAT to say and HOW to say it.
To read more about the fascinating topic of Emotional Intelligence take a look at the article below, which inspired this blog post: