You must be vulnerable to be authentic
Ever had the experience where you felt like you were totally and completely exposed without anything to give you cover?
It is not a place I wish upon anyone.
On the other hand, if we are not true to ourselves and allow ourselves to have some vulnerability then we will never understand or appreciate our true being. We cannot be genuinely authentic unless or until we recognize where we are vulnerable.
It is very challenging for many leaders to think in these terms because the outward expression of control, power, strength tends to cloud the inner depths of caring and concern. The emotional side of leadership is gaining more and more attention in the marketplace. You may have heard it referenced as “Emotional Intelligence.” The element of great leaders where they not just understand their emotional state and of others around them but also have a governed response to their emotional surrounding to better the situation.
It is in this inner place of emotional intelligence or emotional quotient that one can discover how they respond to a situation which shifts them at an emotional level.
Consider a situation where a team member drops the ball on completing a part of a project for a very important client. As the leader, you had outlined the expectations, and everyone agreed to the plan. Yet at the very moment of celebration the opposite event takes place when a letdown happens. How would you handle this? Would your response be that of a tirade of language and actions? Would you calmly address the immediate situation to prompt resolution? Would you fall somewhere in the middle of those opposite ends of the reaction meter?
The business environment and all of us inside of it are seeking a more balanced response to challenging situations. This is not to dismiss that the issue exists nor that proper action be taken for resolution but the approach to rectify will either enhance or disrupt the final outcome.
It is at these moments in time that we need to fully understand how vulnerable we are to sudden challenges and then based on how we respond will either validate our authenticity or completely flush it down the toilet.
This week should a challenging moment present itself, take notice of your emotional reaction. How did you respond and how did that help or hinder the final outcome? Be authentic with yourself when you give some thought to this inner understanding. Don’t focus on just the outcome but how you arrived there during a challenging situation. Did the outcome and everyone involved somehow be made whole? Did the challenge get resolved at the expense of someone or something? When looking back on the final outcome, how do you feel about how everyone involved was affected?
As you explore your Emotional Quotient, feel free to reach out to JKL Associates for some additional insights. Our toolbox includes some outstanding products and services to raise the level of understanding and appreciation for behavioral navigation in the workplace. Give us a call at (313) 527-7945 in Michigan or (407) 984-7246 in Florida.