Axiom Business Book Award 2023 Bronze Co-Medalist, Leadership Category
Bronze award recipient for the 2022 Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Awards – Career (Adult Nonfiction)
The Emotionally Strong Leader will teach you the emotional skills you need to lead to your highest potential, backed by science and grounded in decades of in-the-field experience.
Buy Book“You can be emotional and strong; they are not mutually exclusive.”
—Introduction
Transform your workplace and your impact by leading from the inside-out.
We need leaders who understand and manage their emotions, who know why they do what they do, who aren’t afraid to admit to mistakes, and who are genuine and caring. We need leaders who use the information their feelings provide them to help make informed, rational decisions—especially when the stakes are high.
We need leaders who are both emotional and strong.
By learning to lead from the inside-out, you will connect more authentically and communicate more effectively with your colleagues and teams, and by doing so, you’ll create a workplace environment of trust and belonging that will spur engagement, spike curiosity, and engender fraternity.
This is what leading with emotional intelligence can do for you.
Carolyn Stern’s six-step self-coaching model—adapted from EI courses she’s developed for major universities and corporations across North America—is backed by decades of field experience and top science on emotions and behavior. Stern’s model will enable you to uncover your barriers to growth and change, set personal goals, and tap into your motivation, which will dramatically impact your performance, results, and happiness.
Simply put, The Emotionally Strong Leader will turn the way you think about leading and leadership on its head.
The Leadership Odyssey: Finding an empowering, emotionally intelligent style
The Rush with Reshmi Nair and Scott MacArthur NEWSTALK1010
Improving your emotional intelligence
“The Emotionally Strong Leader is the ultimate guide for today’s leaders who want to embrace emotions and turn them into unparalleled strengths.”
Carolyn Stern with EI Experience
Carolyn Stern, The Emotionally Strong Leader
“Crucial and timely, Stern’s guide to the inside-out journey presents a vital road map for today’s leaders.”
—Amy C. Edmondson, Professor, Harvard Business School, and bestselling author of The Fearless Organization
“How are you and your emotions getting along? For most of us, there’s work to be done in this relationship. In clear, compelling language, The Emotionally Strong Leader shows us how to do that work so that we can become better leaders, coworkers, and community members—and not incidentally, feel more comfortable in our own skin.”
—Sheila Heen & Douglas Stone, authors of the bestseller Difficult Conversations: How to Discuss What Matters Most
“Takes you on a journey, both personal and professional, to discover how being smart about your emotions can help you chart a more fulfilling life path.”
—Dr. Steven J. Stein, coauthor of The EQ Edge and author of The EQ Leader
“Provocative questions, case examples, and exercises help to guide Stern’s readers through a personal journey that is sure to enhance self-awareness and help build those emotionally intelligent practices.”
—Dr. Robin Stern, Co-Founder and Associate Director, Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence
“We feel before we think. Descartes got it wrong and Damasio got it right. Stern sets the record straight and guides you through how to use your emotions to feel better and be more effective.”
—Richard Boyatzis, Ph.D., Distinguished University Professor, Case Western Reserve University, and coauthor of the international bestseller Primal Leadership and The New Helping People Change
“Stern challenges us to drop our fears and hesitation about engaging with our feelings and helps us to understand how an emotionally intelligent leader is more authentic and effective. A compelling read and timely call to action.”
—Jeff Scott, President & CEO, Coastal Pacific Xpress
“Stern reveals that how a leader shows up for others is key to their success. The Emotionally Strong Leader teaches you how to develop your EI sense and show up as the leader you want to be. Stern’s insight and guidance has been transformational for me.”
—Mike Leonard, President & CEO, British Columbia Maritime Employers Association
“Now more than ever, leaders need to connect, build trust, and bring their genuine selves to their teams every day. Unlike other authors who also ask us to reconsider our approach to leadership, Stern challenges us to dive deeper and own not only our approach to leading others, but also how we show up, who we are, and how we got here.”
—Wally Smith, Ed.D., Director of Talent Development, UChicago Medicine
“This book opens the door to a new kind of leadership through an inside-out approach that cuts straight to the heart of the issue: why we do what we do. Rather than being afraid of your emotions, learn to embrace them. Stern provides a simple set of strategies that will bring you to the best version of yourself in the workplace. I know it did for me.”
—Duana Kipling, President, Neptune Bulk Terminals
“In these pages, Stern presents with honest clarity the power of emotional intelligence. Having experienced Stern’s excellent work with the leadership team at University of Findlay, I encourage you to read her work carefully, and to apply the principles of EI bravely.”
—Katherine Fell, Ph.D., President, University of Findlay
“An extraordinarily rich guide articulating why emotions are your superpower. Stern reveals how emotional intelligence can become the magic ingredient to connect authentically, communicate effectively, and thrive collectively.”
—Dan Pontefract, award-winning author and leadership strategist
“This book teaches you that change starts from within. If you want to dramatically improve your ability to connect and lead—at home and in life—start with Stern’s program and undergo your own transformative, inside-out evolution. It worked for me.”
—Duane Jebbett, Retired President & CEO, Rowmark
“To be an even better leader, you need to be principled, purpose driven, and able to fully tap into the emotions within yourself and that exist among your team. Stern’s playbook on emotional intelligence will help all leaders move their impact to the next level. A must-read!”
—Jim Reid, author of Leading to Greatness, and Former Chief HR Officer, Rogers Communications
“Stern allows us to look inside ourselves, acknowledge our emotions, and understand how they impact our careers and relationships. She then provides the understanding and tools to embrace those emotions so we can thrive as leaders, team members, and partners.”
—David MacLaren, Founder & CEO, MediaValet
“Stern’s well-researched book clearly identifies the critical connection between emotional intelligence and leadership, and she provides an excellent guide to support our personal development and that of our teams. This is a must-read.”
—Paul Dangerfield, President, Capilano University
“For too long, emotional intelligence has been denigrated or relegated to the private sphere. Yet it is one of the essential keys to successful leadership in the twenty-first century. Let Stern be your guide, with this book born of long practice and deeply moving personal stories.”
—Céline Schillinger, Founder & CEO, We Need Social, and author of Dare to Un-Lead
“Stern takes us on a journey to embrace—not suppress—our emotions as an integral part of our humanity. Our brain integrates the sum of everything on our mind into one behavior—and emotions are a key part of this. A better understanding of our emotional predisposition is empowering, and will help create better, empathetic leaders.”
—Claudia Krebs, MD, Ph.D., Professor of Teaching in Neuroanatomy, University of British Columbia
“The Emotionally Strong Leader is a warning bell for all leaders who are ignoring emotions in the workplace. Especially in these challenging times, we need to embrace our emotions and those of others. Stern provides a clear path and a set of tools for leaders to do just that.”
—Bob Hanley, Senior Vice President, Chief Human Resources Officer, UChicago Medicine