How Emotional Intelligence Landed Mr. Rogers $20 Million

If your project needed $20 million in funding and you had to send someone to appear before the US Senate to get it, would you choose former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer or the beloved children’s television show host Fred “Mr.” Rogers? I imagine most people would choose Ballmer for his energy, experience closing big deals, and, more importantly, his aggressive go-getter style. Mr. Rogers, on the other hand, was mild-mannered, talked slowly, and the epitome of the nice-guy approach. It’s easy to think his gift was communicating with children, not adults, and he had no place in the world of money, power, and influence.