Handling the Ups and Downs of a Leadership Role like a Leader

Introduction

Why is it so essential for a company to have a leader that has emotional maturity and takes the time to nurture their emotional reserves? The answer is pretty simple but lets explore how being able to manage your emotional intelligence (EQ) can create an optimal workplace for success. 

What Makes Leaders Different?

When we are confronted with a negative situation, it is often how we react to that negative situation that makes all the difference. Leaders are those who are different from the rest of the pack. But, what makes them different? 

If you asked this question to a room full of organizational leaders, you are bound to get many different responses. Those who are in these positions must exude a wide range of different qualities and traits. 

However, there is one quality that might become overlooked although it is one of the most important. This quality is having appropriate emotional management, as well as emotional reserves, to handle both the ups and downs of everyday life. 

Emotional Management

As the forefront of an organization or team, you have a lot of eyes on you. They wait on you to make the call and even examine how you react when situations are conveyed to you. 

In order to function properly as a leader, you must be able to handle not only the positives, but also the negatives. You single handedly have the power to set the tone in response to a situation. How will you set the tone? Most of how you will handle situations can rely heavily on what your emotional reserves fuel tank is looking like. If you have a low tank, you are more likely to perform poorly on your job duties. 

Leadership Fuel Tank Management

For instance, let’s consider that an CEO of a large corporation is having difficulty balancing his work and personal life, as well as not maintaining relationships or self care. Their fuel tank is looking low and their emotional stability status is looking hazy. They go into work one day and are hit with the lowest of low numbers, signifying a major issue in the company. The chances that they will handle the situation poorly are through the roof. This not only hurts their position as a respected leader, it can also affect the productivity of the workplace. 

Does this sound familiar? Although I’d normally hate to admit, I can certainly think back over the years and specific situations where I could have handled myself and the situation better. Live and let learn. I digress. Let’s move on.

On the other hand, let’s say a different CEO of a similarly large corporation takes time to nurture and expand their emotional reserves, practicing self care and maintaining a healthy work-life balance. They get hit with the same bad news, only this time, they are able to handle it differently. They allow themselves to feel what they are feeling in the moment. Then, they direct their energy progressively towards finding a solution. These are the types of leaders that an organization relies on to propel them forward in times of uncertainty. Strong leadership can be especially essential during difficult times, such as a pandemic. This is when an organization may need to lean on business leadership during a crisis. 

Leadership EQ Management Secret

The secret is knowing how you feel and keeping your own energy levels to where you can effectively and efficiently balance the negative and positives of every day business events. When you’re aware of your own energy levels, you can immediately pull yourself out of the negatives and back into the problem solving mastermind you’ve probably always been.

Although this skill may seem subtle, it is essential for successful leaders to adopt. This skill will allow other areas of the organization to benefit, including individual team members, as they see how issues and negative situations can be handled appropriately.

Conclusion 

Having a leader that has emotional maturity and takes the time to nurture their emotional reserves can create an optimal workplace for success.