The key to gaining and keeping power, Keltner argues, is empathy, or being attuned to what other people are feeling. And that’s equally true whether we’re talking about middle schoolers or working professionals.
Now for the insight that really rocked my teenage self’s world (and my current one): Popularity — at school or at work — is on some level about having social influence. And while mean people may be well-known, they aren’t necessarily well-liked or considered influential members of the community.’..
Emotional intelligence is related to empathy.)
Keltner explained: “The empathetic kids who know how to read other people’s emotions and are aware of the emotional dynamics of social life … also get the status and respect of other kids. They have power.”
