Hannah Aster

SEO Team Lead

Hannah is a seasoned writer and editor who started her journey with Shortform nearly five years ago. She grew up reading mostly fiction books but transitioned to non-fiction writing when she started her travel website in 2018. When she's not writing or traveling, you can find Hannah working on home reno projects, crafting, or taking care of plants.

Expertise

Graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor's degree in English and minors in professional and creative writing

What Is Emotional Intelligence in Leadership?

What is emotional intelligence in leadership? What four skills make up emotional intelligence? In their book, Primal Leadership, Daniel Goleman, Richard Boyatzis, and Annie McKee explain that emotionally intelligent leaders have four specific skills. This differs slightly from the five skills Daniel Goleman lays out in his previous book, Emotional Intelligence. Here are the skills and microskills necessary to be an emotionally intelligent leader and a comparison to Goleman’s previous work.

How a Resonant Leadership Style Promotes Harmony

What is a resonant leadership style? How do resonant leaders affect their teams? Daniel Goleman, a co-author of Primal Leadership, coined the term “resonant leadership.” This means that an emotionally intelligent leader is able to influence their team’s emotions and lead them to success. Here’s how the resonant leadership style works and why team harmony is so important.

Why the Lack of Emotional Intelligence Creates Discord

What happens when leaders lack emotional intelligence? What effect can this have on their followers? Emotional intelligence (EI) is the ability to understand and manage your own emotions while also being able to understand and influence the emotions of others. The authors of Primal Leadership claim that emotional intelligence is the most important trait of a leader. Here’s what it looks like when leaders lack emotional intelligence.

The 4 Types of Poverty Traps, Explained

What are the four different types of poverty traps? Is it possible for countries to escape those traps? According to British economist Paul Collier, the four types of poverty traps are the conflict trap, the natural resource trap, being landlocked, and poor governance. These “traps” are why the poorest countries remain poor and struggle to catch up with the developing world. Here’s a detailed look at each kind of poverty trap.

Daniel Goleman’s 6 Leadership Styles, Explained

What are Daniel Goleman’s six leadership styles? How can you use these styles to instill harmony in your team? Daniel Goleman is an author, lecturer, and psychologist who focuses on behavioral science and the brain. In his co-authored book Primal Leadership, Goleman goes over the six leadership styles that can create group harmony. Here’s an overview of each one of the six leadership styles.

The Conflict Trap: Why Some Countries Can’t Grow

What’s the conflict trap? What causes conflict in developing nations? In his book The Bottom Billion, economist Paul Collier explains that one big reason why many poor countries stay poor is because of conflict. This conflict is often fueled by low income, slow growth, and natural resource dependence. Continue reading to learn about the conflict trap, according to Collier.

How to Improve Your Emotional Intelligence in 5 Steps

Do you want to know how to improve emotional intelligence? How can you use self-directed learning to achieve this goal? Probably the most important trait a leader can have is emotional intelligence. It’s so important because a leader who is in tune with both her and her team member’s emotions can create a harmonious work environment—which leads to success. Here are the five steps you can take to improve your emotional intelligence level.

The Natural Resource Curse: A Poverty Paradox

How can relying on the sale of natural resources harm a country? Shouldn’t having an abundance of natural resources make an economy thrive? The natural resource curse is a paradox because countries that rely on selling expensive natural resources tend to have poorer economies. It’s often the governments that thrive off these resources—to the detriment of their people. Here’s everything you need to know about the natural resource curse.

Primal Leadership: Book Advice for Group Leaders

Are you trying to become an emotionally intelligent leader? How can you create an emotionally intelligent culture at your company? In the book Primal Leadership, Daniel Goleman, Richard Boyatzis, and Annie McKee explain that emotional intelligence in groups and organizations creates a harmonious work environment. They share clear steps on how to transform your company from one of discord to one of resonance. Here’s the Primal Leadership book advice on how to create an emotionally intelligent group.

The 2 Disadvantages of Landlocked Countries

Why are landlocked countries automatically at a disadvantage? Is there a way to overcome these disadvantages? Landlocked countries (countries surrounded by land on all sides) are at an automatic disadvantage. They lack access to waterways, and they’re at the mercy of the countries around them—good or bad. Luckily, there are a few things these countries can do to improve their situation. Continue reading to learn more about the disadvantages of landlocked countries.