Serving on corporate Boards requires an immense supply of emotional intelligence. An apparent lack of emotional intelligence in leaders especially in Board rooms can result in a different board outcome.
As broadly define EQ is the ability to recognize, understand, and strategically manage one’s emotions to create the desired outcome. Mucha Mlingo (A Certified Six Seconds EQ Practitioner & An Award Winning International Keynote Speaker ), speaker of the February Board Talk explained, when one is mindful and emotionally self-aware, the behavior is a matter of personal choice.
According to Mucha emotions are data. Hence we should stop trying to control them. She further explained how to navigate through one’s emotions while sitting on a Board to ensure that your emotions are a stepping stone and not a stumbling block with these steps:
- Change your perspective
Emotions, even challenging ones like anger, jealousy, resentment are there for a reason. One should have introspective conversations with oneself to handle suppressed feelings.
The power in changing our perspectives on our emotions is to see them as indicators. We should control the behavior and not suppress our feelings.
- Create emotions strategies
Ask yourself;
- What do you want to happen next
- Based on that, what feelings will make that happen?
- How do you get to THOSE feelings & harnesses them to move forward?
- Charge Compassion Batteries
You can’t give what you don’t have. Therefore, make regular deposits so that you don’t end up overdrawn.
Create time for yourself.
People around you may prescribe the kind of emotions you should have in a given situation. Our reactions to such scenarios can lead to our worst decisions or our best ones. Be smart with your emotions.
