04/30/2024

A Leader’s Three-step Strategy to Being Less Emotional, Reactive

Wise leaders learn to be proactive rather than reactive

What if you could call up the grace of a wise and seasoned leader next time you encounter conflict, adversity or a plot twist you didn't expect? If you're like me, showing up with poise and elegance takes practice, especially in the heat of the moment. Our lives move quickly, and we need tools to balance our strength of character with the generosity and kindness we'd like to show the world. While we cannot control the challenges that enter our lives, we can choose to be less emotional and respond to them strategically, resourcefully and gracefully.

Resourceful leadership is an inside job that means you have the skill to manage your emotions instead of letting your emotions manage you. Successful leaders bounce back faster when adversity strikes because they are able to lead from the inside out with a conscious awareness of where they are emotionally. For all of us, it’s about understanding the why behind our reactive tendencies, claiming actions that align with our core values and then choosing new perspectives that will make it easier to respond to the adversity that we are facing rather than reacting to it.

Whether it’s an inciting incident that rocks your world, a dysfunctional work environment or a toxic family situation, each of us enters certain situations with a sense of unease, knowing that an unforeseen challenge — be it interpersonal or circumstantial — could cause us to choose an action that we may regret later. To survive (and maybe even thrive) in these tempestuous environments, it’s helpful if you have a structure of support that will enable you to recalibrate an emotional reaction so you can transform it into a more intentional response.

Please select this link to read the complete article from SmartBrief.