A Leader’s Guide to Owning Our Emotions In the Workplace: 4 Basic Steps to Exploring Emotions

In recent decades, emotional intelligence has become a crucial aspect of leadership. Leaders can enhance their emotional intelligence by recognizing and learning from their emotions, which can positively impact their teams and workplace. This process often starts from the top down.

A real estate development client faced economic challenges, including reduced bank lending and project funding. During a meeting, the CEO expressed his fears about the upcoming year, which led others to share their concerns. This open discussion reduced tension and allowed the team to strategize effectively.

Many leaders believe they have high emotional intelligence but often act without fully processing their emotions. Suppressing emotions can lead to stress, health issues, and loss of focus. Acknowledging and processing emotions can relieve pressure and promote clearer, more creative thinking.

To explore emotions and their wisdom, follow these steps:

1. Recognize: Identify and acknowledge the emotion.
2. Locate: Find where the emotion is felt in the body.
3. Allow: Permit the sensation to exist without resistance.
4. Look for the Wisdom: Understand what the emotion is communicating.

Cultivating emotional intelligence in leaders sets an example for their teams, encouraging vulnerability and fuller contributions. Research by Brene Brown shows that leaders who display vulnerability foster more connected and higher-performing teams.

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