Originally from Dispute Resolution Journal
Preview Page
I. IT TAKES MORE THAN IQ TO SUCCEED IN LIFE AND LAW
Emotional Intelligence (“EI” and sometimes “EQ”) is not a new
concept, except for lawyers. Business schools such as Harvard, Notre
Dame, Dartmouth and Yale have added EI as a part of the core
curriculum. EI has been credited for advancements in diplomacy;
improvements in health-care and patient satisfaction, key skills for
developing effective leaders in the military, and requirements for
entrance to police academies; and recognized as important for
coaches to improve individual and team performance. The benefits of
EI are not just for business, but on a personal level produce increased
happiness, mental and physical health, improved social and marital
relationships, and decreased levels of cortisol (the stress hormone).
Even though EI has been around for more than 20 years, the legal
profession has been slow to incorporate EI training into the
profession. Lawyers typically have above average to very high IQs
demonstrated by high test scores required for entrance into the
profession. In some ways, the legal profession may be compared to
how IQ was viewed prior to the publication of Daniel Goldman’s
groundbreaking book, Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter
More Than IQ, in the early 1990s when he wrote, “Those were the
days when the preeminence of IQ as the standard for excellence in life
was unquestioned, a debate ranged over whether it was set in our
genes or due to experience.”
Harold Coleman, Jr., Esq., is Senior Vice President for mediation at the American
Arbitration Association (AAA) and executive director/mediator for MEDIATION.org, a
division of the AAA. Coleman also trains new AAA arbitrators and aspiring mediators in
basic/advanced arbitration case management techniques and basic/advanced mediation
skills. A former multi-disciplinary project manager and complex litigation attorney,
Coleman has mediated and arbitrated multiplied hundreds of litigated and non-litigated
disputes during a 28-year legal and ADR career.
Matthew W. Argue is a full-time construction mediator for more than 10 years
throughout Southern California. His principle office is in Los Angeles, CA.
