The Champion Leader

Reestablish the connection between your organization’s talent and its leadership

In The Champion Leader: Harnessing the Power of Emotional Intelligence to Build High-Performing Teams, bestselling author Christopher D. Connors delivers an invaluable, inspiring discussion of how to adapt to the rapidly changing rules of engagement in the modern workplace. You’ll find out why so many employees feel disconnected from their leaders in today’s remote and hybrid working environments and how to address that disconnect.

Connors explains how to prioritize one-on-one and team conversations focused on understanding employee needs, career development, and wellbeing to help foster a future-focused organization. He also walks you through how to maximize your emotional intelligence and enhance your leadership skills to assist in the development of a high-performing organization that delivers superior results.

The Champion Leader also offers:

• Ways to build adaptability, assertiveness, and empathy in the pursuit of connection between your organization’s employees and its leadership
• Strategies for developing self-awareness of how you show up and model leadership for others in your organization
• Research-backed insights on how to improve your self-confidence to create a culture of camaraderie and connection
• Techniques for engaging with and supporting people to improve employee retention and recruitment

The Champion Leader is an inspiring and insightful resource for managers, executives, and all business leaders seeking to become more emotionally intelligent for themselves—and to give that gift to everyone in their organization. The Champion Leader is an essential guide to solidifying your leadership foundation.

The Champion Leader ix

People Come First xi

1 Leadership Connection Perfection (Lead with Emotional Intelligence and Bring People Together to Achieve Incredible Results) 1

2 You (Championship Leadership Starts with Mastering Self-Awareness) 25

3 Why (Discover the Purpose and Motivating Factors That Drive High-Performing Teams) 49

4 Your Organization (Use Empathy and Social Skills to Make Everyone around You Better) 67

5 Prioritization (Master the Art of Time Management and Strategy) 89

6 Camaraderie (Create a Team-First Culture) 113

7 Fortune Favors the Bold Leader (Learn to Lead with Confidence and Courage) 133

8 Connecting the “CORD” (Communicate, Identify Opportunities, Build Relationships, and Make Smart Decisions) 151

9 Adaptability and Responsibility (Lead through Change and Take Ownership) 175

10 The Voice of the Champion Leader (The Little Things That Make a Big Difference) 197

11 Leadership Heart ’n’ Soul (Learn to Lead with Compassion and Spirit) 215

12 The Drive for More (Guide Your Team to Always Move Forward) 231

The Champion’s Watch 249

Leadership Resources 253

Leadership Resources 257

Notes 259

The Champion Leader—Acknowledgments 271

Biography (About the Author) 275

Index 277

CHRISTOPHER D. CONNORS is the bestselling author of Emotional Intelligence for the Modern Leader and The Value of You. He’s a keynote speaker and executive leadership coach who helps leaders increase their emotional intelligence, achieve business results, and build thriving organizations. He works with leaders at Fortune 1000 companies, and his work has appeared in CNBC, the World Economic Forum and more.

Build a vibrant and organic connection between your organization’s talent and its leadership

In The Champion Leader, bestselling author Christopher D. Connors delivers an exciting new take on how to adapt to the changing rules of engagement in the workplace. It explains why so many employees feel disconnected from their leaders in today’s remote and hybrid working environments and how to reestablish meaningful relationships. You’ll learn how to maximize your emotional intelligence and enhance your leadership skills to help you and your organization achieve outstanding results. Perfect for managers, executives, and all leaders seeking to develop their emotional intelligence, The Champion Leader is the ideal resource for helping you elevate your leadership to the next level.

“The Champion Leader is the ultimate EQ manual for any leader seeking new, inspired ways to transform a group of individuals into a team.”
— ANGIE MORGAN WITKOWSKI, New York Times Bestselling Author of SPARK and Bet on You

“The Champion Leader beautifully articulates how to lead authentically and build a foundation of emotional intelligence to champion yourself and everyone around you to accomplish extraordinary results.”
— CHESTER ELTON, #1 New York Times Bestselling Author

“The Champion Leader masterfully distills the essence of transformative leadership into actions that resonate on a deeply personal level. Christopher’s work is a vital resource that promises to redefine what it means to be a leader.”
— DR. MARSHALL GOLDSMITH, Thinkers 50 #1 Executive Coach and New York Times Bestselling Author