Cultivating Excellence: The Emotional and Social Landscape of High-Performing District Sales Managers
Preamble – Rising IQ and Declining EQ: Goleman’s Paradox
Daniel Goleman, in his ground-breaking work in his book on Emotional Intelligence, warns of a looming crisis: the paradox of rising IQ and declining EQ.
While intrinsic intelligence (IQ) has steadily improved over generations, thanks to better education and access to information, our emotional intelligence—the ability to understand, manage, and navigate emotions—appears to be deteriorating.
This “emotional literacy crisis” manifests in increasing rates of depression, aggression, and social isolation.
The consequences are significant – while we’re becoming cognitively sharper, we’re simultaneously becoming less adept at managing emotions, resolving conflicts, showing empathy, and maintaining healthy relationships. This imbalance threatens our collective well-being and social functioning.
Goleman argues that emotional skills are not fixed traits but learnable competencies. He advocates for deliberate development of emotional literacy through education and parenting practices that value emotional intelligence alongside traditional academic achievement, creating a more balanced approach to human development.
Goleman suggests that modern life, with its overdependence on technology, reduced face-to-face interaction, (as we saw during the pandemic crisis) and growing stress, is eroding the essential human skills of empathy, self-awareness, and social connection.
This shift creates a dangerous imbalance. High IQ may lead to technical and analytical success, but without EQ, individuals struggle with leadership, collaboration, and resilience—traits vital in today’s interconnected and fast-changing world.
Goleman emphasizes that emotional intelligence is not a luxury but a necessity.
In a future driven by artificial intelligence and automation, it is our emotional intelligence that will set us apart, anchoring our humanity and shaping meaningful personal and professional relationships.
Social Adeptness
Neuroscience tells us that the emotional part of the brain (the limbic system) learns differently from the thinking brain. What does this mean?
When we say the emotional brain (the limbic system) “learns differently” from the thinking brain (the neocortex), we mean that it doesn’t learn through logic, facts, or words. Instead, it learns through experiences, repetition, and emotional impact.
For example, if you touch a hot stove once and it burns you, your emotional brain instantly remembers that pain—and you’ll avoid doing it again. No one needs to explain it to you with logic or data. That’s emotional learning.
In contrast, the thinking brain learns by reading, analyzing, and understanding concepts. It needs time, focus, and sometimes effort to understand something.
So, while your thinking brain might understand that smoking is bad after reading facts, your emotional brain might still crave a cigarette if it connects it with comfort or relief.
To truly change behavior, both brains need to learn—one through knowledge, the other through emotional experience.
What can the District Sales Managers – the first-line of the pharma industry of India learn from this?
1. Facts alone don’t inspire behavior change.
District Sales Managers often share data, targets, and scientific knowledge with their Medical Representatives. But to truly motivate and change behavior, they must connect emotionally—through stories, experiences, recognition, and empathy.
2. Create emotional learning moments.
Instead of just telling an MR to “increase calls” or “focus on this brand,” District Sales Managers can create emotionally charged learning experiences: role plays, shadowing success stories, or celebrating a breakthrough doctor conversion. These stick deeper than PowerPoint slides.
3. Repetition and reinforcement matter.
The emotional brain learns slowly through repetition. District Sales Managers should patiently reinforce the same positive behaviors through consistent coaching, not just once in a monthly meeting.
4. Lead with empathy.
Understanding each MR’s emotional state—stress, confidence, motivation—makes coaching more effective. The limbic brain responds better to trust and connection than to pressure.
In short: great District Sales Managers don’t just teach—they emotionally reach.
More than Numbers: The Story of Ravi Chawla
Ravi Chawla, District Sales Manager at Star Pharmaceuticals, was known for his precision. His team always had their KPIs clear, product knowledge sharp, and plans in place. Yet lately, something was off—Arjun, one of his top MRs, had been slipping.
At the monthly meeting, Ravi almost brought it up in front of the team. But something held him back.
Instead, the next day, he joined Arjun for a field visit at Dadar. After the first session of work, Ravi suggested, “Let’s grab a vada pav at Shree Krishna Vada Paav Stall before the next session starts?”
Sitting under the shadow of a huge mango tree, Ravi gently asked, “Arjun, I’ve noticed you’re not quite yourself. Can you share with me if it is not too personal?”
Arjun hesitated, then said softly, “Sir… my father’s is bedridden for over six months following a stroke. It’s been hard to focus, but I didn’t want to make excuses.”
That moment hit Ravi hard. He realized he’d been managing targets, not people.
That moment of realization was powerful for Ravi – discovering such a significant personal challenge in Arjun’s life that he wasn’t aware of reveals a gap in his leadership approach.
What did Ravi Chawla do?
- Acknowledged and apologize: Ravi, acknowledged that he missed something important in Arjun’s life and apologized for not being more attentive.
- Listened fully: Created a safe space for Arjun to share his situation completely. Ravi asked open-ended questions about his father’s condition, how Arjun is coping, and what support he needed – without interrupting or jumping to solutions.
- Offer practical support: Based on what he learns, Ravi offered specific assistance:
- Temporary workload adjustments
- Flexible working hours to accommodate caregiving responsibilities
- Information about company benefits that might help (medical insurance extensions, leave policies)
- Connection to employee assistance programs if available
Longer-term Leadership Changes
- Regular check-ins: Schedule consistent one-on-one meetings that include personal well-being discussions, not just performance metrics.
- Create team psychological safety: Foster an environment where team members feel comfortable sharing personal challenges without fear of judgment.
- Develop emotional intelligence: Ravi should work on being more observant of behavioral changes in team members that might signal personal difficulties.
- Balance empathy with accountability: While showing understanding, Ravi should collaborate with Arjun on realistic performance expectations given his situation.
This experience transformed Ravi’s leadership approach from purely metrics-focused to people-centered, ultimately creating a more engaged, loyal, and productive team.
Ravi had unlocked the real secret of leadership: the emotional brain learns through connection, not instruction. And in doing so, he didn’t just rebuild performance—he rebuilt trust.
Two crucial points to remember says Daniel Goleman:
- E. I. doesn’t mean being nice! At strategic moments it means NOT BEING NICE. You confront someone with an uncomfortable but consequential truth
- E. I. does not mean giving free reigns to feelings. Rather, it means managing feelings so they are expressed appropriately and effectively.