Emotion in Leadership: What I’ve learned after 9 years
Picture this…
The satisfaction of a team celebrating a successful delivery.
The silence from a lack of alarms in an incident-free sale season.
The warmth you feel when you read incredible feedback on the lead you just nurtured.
The tight hug you give when one of your teammates leaves for another adventure.
It’s all about searching for a feeling. An emotion. It’s the last glimpse of the sun before it hides away in the water. That’s the moment I keep searching. The remaining is the day that leads to the sunset.
For almost nine years, I’ve led teams: in different companies, industries and cultures. I’ve dealt with success as well as failures. I’ve made many mistakes, and I learned from them every time. I can honestly say I have become a better person by leading teams. If nothing else, I’ve improved my communication and empathy skills.
I’ve learned that much of my focus needs to be on improving two behaviours:
- Becoming a better communicator and transmitting a message with more clarity and security.
- Making decisions faster.
Both behaviours transmit a sense of security to your teams that will make you reap benefits in the future.
This emotion-driven behaviour is not exclusively from you, the team leader. Every single element of your team also deals with complex feelings and emotions. Part of your job is to understand these emotions and find the right balance between team members to achieve stability.
This delicate equilibrium delivers value to the company in the form of a high-performing team.
Where are you on your journey?
Luis Parada
A Leader’s Mindset
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