You Are Your Most Valuable Asset: Time for Emotional Leadership
Tell me this: How and when did you first get the message that your desires, wants, or emotions were a problem in the workplace?
If you’ve felt worried that you might be a liability — that you’re too lazy, too sensitive or anxious. work projects and at networking events, if you feel that you need to be XXX at networking events, afraid you might eat the wrong things, say the wrongs things, take too long, care too much, or not care enough, you’re not alone.
In fact, most of the executives professionals and highly successful achievers that we coach describe a sense of having to chronically “watch themselves”, “make sure they’re doing it right”, or “stay alert and prepared” in order to prevent mistakes. In other words, they can’t relax, and struggle to feel confident due to distrust and fear that their “actual” or “relaxed” selves won’t be genuinely capable and able to handle the job, free of self-supervision.
At the same time, we’re also inundated with messages about “getting in the flow state”, leverage our natural talents, tap into our expertise, and finding a rhythm that works for us. Essentially, American Corporate Culture offers us a mind fuck and a double bind: We’re supposed to be on guard by controlling our emotions while also naturally tapping into an authentic work presence and flow.
Under this model, too many leaders - and especially women - have “made it to the top” by sacrificing their tenderness, care, intuition, needs, and emotional health. We might have it all or look good on paper, but we still sense that something is out of alignment, wrong in our inner landscape, because we’ve shut down or lost our very heart.
But I’m here with good news. Policing and sacrificing your emotions or heart, isn’t actually where the data indicates an the ROI is. Consider —-
The Role of Passion in Entrepreneurial Success: entrepreneurs who are emotionally passionate about their ventures tend to have a greater likelihood of achieving business success.
Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivations: employees who are emotionally invested in their work are more likely to produce innovative solutions, leading to better business outcomes and higher ROI.
Passion and Work Performance": Passionate employees (those who experience positive emotions and deep engagement in their work) show higher levels of commitment to their organization and are less likely to burn out.
The Influence of Employee Engagement on Business Outcomes:
The Business Case for Purpose: Organizations with a clear sense of purpose (often linked to the personal passions of the leadership and employees) outperform those that are more profit-driven.
I’m here to say that whatever taught you to police your own emotions at work — whether it was it when you wanted to leave early for a revitalizing vacation or you wanted to react to condescension from a supervisor — it probably
And we’re actually chronically being told that these are weaknesses, shown stories that this is a risk, it's a liability, you might misbehave.
How did you first learn that you might be a liability, not an asset?
Are you ready for a tender, gentle, “no bullshit”, coach to champion you in the work that you do, that makes you feel the most aligned, brave, and alive?
Reach out.
