Beyond smart : lawyering with emotional intelligence

"Emotional intelligence" (EI) is the ability to recognize, understand, and regulate our own and others' emotions. Industries worldwide have incorporated EI into their education, hiring, training, and management programs to maximize performance.

Beyond Smart is the first comprehensive guide to understanding and raising emotional intelligence in the unique context of law practice. It explains the origins of EI, a lawyer's historic role in developing the concept, how lawyers compare in EI to other professionals and how to determine your level of EI. The guide also outlines how:

Emotionally intelligent lawyers are smarter, better practitioners - as negotiators, litigators and judges, make more money, and are physically and mentally healthier; Emotionally intelligent law departments and law firms profit from more effective leadership, greater performance, enhanced teamwork, and increased client satisfaction, as well as lower attrition, healthcare and professional liability costs; Emotionally intelligent practices can thrive in an increasingly competitive and technologically complex marketplace, even outperforming artificial intelligence; and Individuals, workplaces and law schools can take steps to raise emotional intelligence.

"Emotional intelligence is one of the most important, yet overlooked, areas of law practice. It is a gift for lawyers and legal educators alike."
- Daniel S. Bowling, III, Senior Lecturing Fellow, Duke Law School

• Preface p. ix
• Acknowledgments p. xv
• About the Author p. xvii
• Chapter 1 What Is Emotional Intelligence? Understanding Emotional Intelligence and Its Benefits p. 1
• The Origins of Emotional Intelligence Theory p. 2
• The Business Community Embraces Emotional Intelligence p. 3
• Healthcare p. 4
• Accounting p. 6
• Technology p. 7
• Marketing p. 9
• Primary and Secondary Education p. 10
• Graduate Business Schools p. 12
• The Demographics of Emotional Intelligence p. 14
• Emotional Intelligence and Geography p. 14
• Emotional Intelligence and Age p. 14
• Emotional Intelligence and Society at Large p. 15
• Emotional Intelligence and Race p. 16
• Emotional Intelligence and Class p. 16
• Emotional Intelligence and Gender p. 17
• The Physiology of Emotional Intelligence p. 21
• The Proof Is in the Pudding p. 23
• Chapter 2 Are Lawyers Emotionally Intelligent? p. 41
• Emotional Intelligence Assessment and Other Data on Lawyers p. 41
• The View from the Bleachers p. 43
• Law's Skeptical View of Emotions p. 45
• The Lawyer Who Had No Emotions p. 49
• Where Do We Lawyers Fall Short? The Four Components of Emotional Intelligence p. 51
• 1 Emotional Perception p. 52
• Emotional Self-Awareness p. 53
• Awatmess of Others' Emotions p. 55
• 2 Emotional Empathy p. 56
• 3 Emotional Understanding p. 59
• 4 Emotional Regulation p. 61
• Suppression p. 64
• Rumination p. 66
• Chapter 3 The Business Gase for Emotionally Intelligent Lawyers: Four Advantages Emotional Intelligence Brings to Your Practice p. 81
• Advantage 1 Emotionally Intelligent Lawyers Are Smarter p. 85
• Emotionally Intelligent, Lawyers Make Better Decisions p. 89
• The Emotionally Intelligent Are "Smartest" Over a Lifetime p. 91
• Even Smart Artificial Intelligence Requires Emotional Intelligence p. 92
• Advantage 2 Emotionally Intelligent Lawyers Are Stronger Practitioners p. 93
• At the Negotiating Table p. 93
• In the Courtroom p. 96
• Case Managers p. 96
• Litigators p. 99
• Judges p. 102
• Advantage 3 The Bottom Line: Emotionally Intelligent Lawyers Make More Money p. 106
• Emotionally Intelligent Lawyers Get and Keep More Clients p. 108
• Getting Clients p. 109
• Keeping Clients p. 113
• Emotionally Intelligent Communication Cements Client Relationships p. 124
• The Art and Science of Listening p. 126
• Reading Nonverbal Communication p. 128
• Emotionally Intelligent Client Service Reaps Revenues p. 130
• Advantage 4 Emotionally Intelligent Lawyers Are Healthier and Happier-Rescuing Lawyers in Distress p. 131
• Emotional Intelligence Reduces the Plague of Anxiety, Stress, Burnout, Substance Abuse, Depression, and Suicide p. 132
• Lawyers in Distress p. 134
• Why? Accounting for Lawyer Debilitation p. 141
• Chapter 4 Four Ways Emotional Intelligence Builds More Successful Law Firms and Law Departments p. 169
• 1 Emotionally Intelligent Leaders Are More Effective p. 169
• External Challenges: Meeting the Marketplace Mandate p. 174
• Globalization p. 174
• Advancing Technology p. 176
• The End of Lawyers? p. 178
• Mounting Financial Pressures p. 180
• Internal Challenges: Innovating, Achieving Influence, and Motivating and Effectuating Change p. 182
• Inspiring Innovation p. 183
• Achieving Influence p. 185
• Motivating and Effectuating Change p. 187
• 2 Emotional Intelligence Builds a More Productive Culture p. 189
• Lower Attrition p. 191
• Reduced Conflict and Better Conflict Management p. 192
• Higher-Functioning Teams p. 198
• Greater Personal Well-Being p. 201
• 3 Emotional Intelligence Lowers the Risk of Liability p. 204
• Troublesome Outliers: Moral Disengagement, Narcissism, Machiavellianism, Sociopathy, and Psychopathy p. 211
• 4 Emotionally Intelligent Practices Are More Profitable p. 217
• Chapter 5 Four Steps to Achieving an Emotionally Intelligent Workplace p. 251
• Step 1 Start at the Top: Emotionally Intelligent Leaders p. 253
• Increase Feedback to Raise Self-Awareness p. 255
• Invest in Leadership Development p. 257
• Embrace Women Leaders p. 258
• Use Emotional Contagion p. 260
• Step 2 Hire Emotionally Intelligent Professionals p. 264
• Recalibrate Hiring Practices p. 265
• Screen for Emotional Intelligence and Other Competencies p. 268
• Step 3 Develop Emotional Intelligence p. 275
• Institute Emotional Intelligence Training Programs p. 277
• Offer Coaching, Mentoring, and Other Feedback p. 282
• Compensate, Reward, and Promote Emotional Intelligence p. 286
• Step 4 Emotionally Engage the Keepers p. 289
• Find the Magical Balance p. 296
• Dare to Lead p. 298
• Chapter 6 What Is My Emotional Intelligence? p. 333
• Emotional Intelligence Assessments p. 334
• Questions to Start You Thinking and Feeling p. 336
• Worksheets to Illustrate Emotional Intelligence p. 339
• Your Worst, and Best Boss/Client p. 339
• Your Worst and Best Performances at Work p. 340
• Chapter 7 How Do I Raise My Emotional Intelligence? p. 343
• Four Routes to Achieving an Emotional Intelligence Edge p. 343
• 1 Expand Your Emotional Awareness p. 344
• Sign Up a Coach or Mentor p. 344
• Profit from Performance and Client Reviews p. 348
• Listen Well p. 349
• 2 Participate in Training p. 351
• 3 Embrace Mindfulness p. 352
• 4 Persevere p. 354
• Raising the Four Components of Emotional Intelligence p. 356
• 1 Emotional Perception-Short-Circuiting Garbage In/Garbage Out p. 357
• 2 Emotional Empathy p. 361
• 3 Emotional Understanding p. 364
• 4 Emotional Regulation p. 368
• Chapter 8 The Role of Law Schools p. 379
• Chapter 9 Now Is the Time to Lawyer with Emotional Intelligence p. 393
• Appendix: Assessment and Development Resources p. 397
• Bibliography p. 419
• Index p. 469