DALLAS, TX - What immediately comes to mind when you think of leadership? For me, I drum up words that might not immediately strike a chord, words like understanding and empathetic. When I turned to Dan’l Markey Almy, President and Chief Executive Officer of DMA Solutions, to further illuminate this topic, she noted how crucial emotional intelligence is for the success of businesses now and in the future.

“I believe any leader, female or male, who values and hones ‘real skills’ like empathy, vulnerability, curiosity, listening, etc., makes them better,” she began. “While relationships are a cornerstone of the fresh produce industry, these relational skills are often taken for granted, or worse, ignored. These are learned skills that come from self-knowledge, awareness, and understanding.”

Real skills—sometimes referred to as soft skills—is a phrase touted by Seth Godin’s Akimbo Workshops. Godin himself is an entrepreneur, best-selling author, and former dot com business exec, and his influence on the importance of these skills cannot be overstated.

Dan’l added that these skills are hard to measure, but that does not make them any less valuable. They include, but are not limited to, things such as honesty, perseverance, keeping promises, trust, charisma, curiosity, problem solving, and humor.

“Any skill that improves your ability to be more self-aware and understanding of others is a significant win as pertains to the greatest assets we have—people,” Dan’l asserted. “For instance, new hires are typically based on skills required of the work and ‘who you know.’ I believe going forward ‘what you know about yourself’ and your commitment to that ever-evolving journey will be equally important.”

When considering her own team, Dan’l noted that they’re attuned to this emotional intelligence journey—and are excited for what it means for their future.

“We have found that the more we work on ourselves as individuals, the more honest our marketing is becoming and the healthier our minds and hearts are while we’re at work and at play! When we’re practicing being intentional with our emotional intelligence practice and self-awareness, we experience more empathy when addressing others, which then gives us the ability to navigate almost any situation or conversation with strength and good character,” Dan’l shared.

I know that the editorial team here at AndNowUKnow strives for this, too! We’re excited to see how the future of leadership evolves in fresh produce, and are proud to see DMA Solutions leading the vanguard.

DMA Solutions