Leadership Tip by Heather McGonigal:
Emotional Reaction gets us into trouble. You probably know this. You are a professional who keeps your big emotional reactions to a minimum. That said, it is not only those epic reactions that get us into trouble. There are also stealth ways that we react everyday that undermine our success. Which is why we need high-level leadership skills to stay out of reaction mode, especially in the most challenging circumstances. To have the impact you most desire from your role, it’s crucial that you develop your Self-Awareness. Many of us can easily temper our emotions when things are going smoothly, but it is when the stakes are high and the business is on the line, that your company most needs you to manage yourself and show up with your critical thinking intact.
Leadership requires you to step out of reaction, and look at an issue from all angles, and then ask challenging questions to generate strong solutions that put the business back on the path of achieving outcomes.
A master leader can stand centered in their role, even under stress and challenge, and maintain the vision of the big picture and how everything connects. That sets them up to work well with their team and take effective actions that deliver the intended outcomes everyday. Here at Leading Edge Teams, we train great leaders to mastery level.
The objective of today’s message is to support and encourage you to cultivate the ability to PAUSE before emotional reaction takes you off course. The Power of the PAUSE is that it creates the space to regulate our emotions. You then gain the ability to choose actions in alignment with the outcomes you are after, rather than allowing your emotions to drive your behavior.
When you can become aware of this reactive behavior and develop greater Self-Awareness you have a key business advantage. Because awareness is the first step in being able to shift out of reaction mode so that you can think clearly and take the best actions for the situation – which is the role of leadership!
Remember, it is not wrong to find yourself in emotional reactivity. It is a hardwired natural response that was designed to protect you. This greatly served its purpose in the caveman era; when an immediate response was a matter of life and death. Unfortunately in today’s modern world this response gets in the way of us doing the complex, focused thinking needed to function effectively today. Unchecked emotional Self-Protection also leads to separation rather than connection to others. And connection is vital for teamwork, which is integral to success in business. Harness the Power of the PAUSE today!
Heather McGonigal
Program Director | Leadership Coach
Leading Edge Teams
