The Most Successful Leaders Are the Ones That Show Emotion
Emotions often get a bad rap.
Because of statements like:
“Stop being so emotional”
“Leave your emotions at the door”
“Showing your emotions makes you look weak”
It’s no surprise then that leaders believe they shouldn’t show their emotions and if they show their emotions, it’s something they need to “fix”.
There are 3 problems that this thinking creates:
You don’t develop the capability of dealing with team members who express their emotions. You probably delegate this to HR
You don’t use your emotions to learn and grow because instead of feeling your feelings, you push them aside and pretend you’re not feeling them
You show up to others in ways you probably are unaware of, and you end up getting a bad rap yourself as others feel disconnected and disengaged from you.
None of the above augers well for you, if you are looking to have influence and impact.
As human beings, we are emotional beings, and feeling the spectrum of emotions is what allows us to achieve remarkable results.
Imagine, what you could achieve if you weren’t afraid of feeling…
Embarrassed
Failure
Unworthy
The challenge therefore is:
Learning how to feel emotions
Learning why you are feeling your emotions
Learning how to express appropriate emotions
Learning how to use your emotions and take necessary actions
Leaders get the most benefits when they create an environment where their people can express appropriate emotions, both negative and positive, without negatively impacting the rest of the organization.
When you express appropriate emotions and allow space for your employees to express their own appropriate emotions, it yields great benefits.
Benefits like:
Improved feelings of Engagement
Improved feelings of Connection
Improved feelings of Fulfilment
The sad truth is …
Nobody teaches us how to feel our emotions and how to decipher what is appropriate and inappropriate expressions of our emotions
Some inappropriate expressions include:
Having a blank face bereft of any emotion
Rolling eyes or staring without saying anything
Shouting, cursing, or storming off
In addition to these inappropriate displays, when leaders experience stress, frustration, anxiety and tiredness, they show up to their people hard, abrupt, impatient, and sometimes caustic, just to name a few…
All of which will get results you don’t want… and the cycle begins again.
All our emotions are appropriate
Not all our expressions of our emotions are appropriate
It’s understandable that during periods of intense pressure in the workplace many people feel “negative” emotions.
This is where you get the opportunity to practice your ability to manage and control your emotions and as a leader, help others to manage theirs.
Leading can be emotionally tough and leading others can be isolating. That is why I work with Executives to:
Bring awareness to their current mindset,
Help them to understand what they are feeling and why
Coach them to choose appropriate emotions and appropriate expressions in any given situation
Ultimately, they confidently and effectively lead their teams to even greater success!
Ask yourself:
Why am I feeling this way?
How will my emotional reaction influence or impact my team?
Will expressing my emotions this way (whatever that is) in this situation help us achieve our business objectives?
Coaching can make all the difference.
Coaching is having two brains working on one body.
Book a free Clarity Call with me, so we can:
Pinpoint your specific goals
Understand exactly why you aren’t there yet
Agree on what’s required to get there
Be clear about what to do in the next 30 days…
Send this article to a colleague or a friend who you think may benefit from reading it!
I’m Nadine Seaga and I’m a Mindset & Leadership Coach, Founder & Chief Energy Officer (CEO) of People Development Consultants. I can help you to harness your full potential and the full potential of those you lead! Schedule your Clarity Call here.
Make the move now to get started on this life-changing work.