Leadership Tip

How to develop your emotional agility

Everyone has felt critical, doubtful, or scared, even at work - and attempting to minimise or ignore such emotions can amplify them. Effective leaders neither buy into nor try to suppress their inner experiences - instead, they develop "emotional agility," a skill which enables them to approach their inner experiences in a mindful and productive way. These practices can help you do the same:

1. Recognise your patterns. In what instances does your thinking become rigid and repetitive, playing like a broken record you’ve heard time and time again? That’s a telltale sign that you’ve been hooked by a thought or feeling.

2. Label your thoughts and emotions. This allows you to see them as they are: transient sources of data that may or may not prove helpful. Taking this "helicopter view" of your emotions simplifies them; it turns the thought "My coworker is wrong - he makes me so angry," into “I’m having the thought that my coworker is wrong, and I’m feeling anger."

3. Accept feelings with an open attitude. They may be signaling that something important is at stake, like your values. This gives you the chance to act on them.


The above leadership tip...
was sent in response to a question from a participant on our acclaimed 10/10 leadership development and mentoring programme. Whether you're a first time manager or an experienced leader, straightforward, practical advice on best practice is hard to find. Until now. To find out how you, your team or your organisation can benefit, please join us on our next complimentary webinar or contact us.


For more tips...
on leadership and management good practice, subscribe to a Minute with Montgomery on 10TV.

Subscribe

Free weekly email on things you didn't know last week with links to articles on leadership excellence. To view previous editions click here.


Unlock your potential

Whether face to face, or over the telephone, we can develop your leadership skills, support you in making important decisions, and help you reach your potential.

Read More

Leadership Articles

10 actions for effective communication

High-quality communication is an essential element in business and organisational performance. Effective communication relies on engaging with people, having a commitment to building strong and productive relationships and realising that we communicate... read more

10 actions for advancing your career

Standing out at work isn’t about wearing a flashy hat - though, that could help. The more effective way to make an impact is by developing the skills that will get you noticed. Here are 10 strategies for advancing your career: Make skills... read more

10 actions for achieving best performance

Success does not begin with radically changing the way you work or acquiring new skills: the first step is to take what you already do to the highest level.  However trivial it may seem, if you can do a task more smartly than you did before, and... read more

Leadership Tips

How to make your habits stick

When it comes to building lasting habits, strict routines aren't always the answer. Research suggests that while consistency is important, the ability to adapt is what truly makes habits stick. As a leader, balancing structure with flexibility can help... read more

How to create a vision that motivates

Great leaders don’t just set goals - they paint a compelling picture of the future that energizes people to act. A motivating vision doesn’t have to be groundbreaking, but it does need to be clear, grounded, and empowering. Here’s how to create one that... read more

How to be more assertive

The more words you use, the more it sounds like you don’t know what you’re talking about. Long explanations often come across as uncertainty or overcompensation. Two or three clear sentences will always sound more confident - and more respectful of... read more