But it’s more than that, isn’t it? A leader’s success depends on qualitative measures such as employee engagement, customer satisfaction, innovation or collaboration.
In other words, leadership success depends on the depth of the leader’s emotional wisdom.
Emotional Wisdom is your superpower for navigating through life and through the many challenges you face at work. It’s what tells you if you’re showing up as your truest, most authentic self or if you’re veering off course.
More than that, it can give you an uncanny sense of KNOWING the right direction or the right action to take, even in difficult circumstances.
Emotional Wisdom goes beyond Emotional Intelligence. It’s about not just knowing what you are feeling but knowing what to do with that information.
When you develop your Emotional Wisdom, you listen for and understand what I call the feeling under the feeling. You’ll start to notice that niggle of discomfort when someone is saying all the right things about why their project is running behind that signals they aren’t telling you the whole story.
Why is Emotional Wisdom Important?
When you start to trust yourself and your Emotional Wisdom, you notice your inner experience and dialogue. As you start to include that information in how you move forward, so many good things start to happen:
- You connect more authentically with yourself and with others. When this happens you actually increase your self-esteem and your relationships improve because you form mutual respect. With a strong sense of self and supportive relationships, you easily find comfort in the midst of chaos.
- You face adversity with strength and vulnerability because you know it’s the only way to flourish and grow. Your knowing gives you the confidence to choose to be the person you want to be every day and to become a better version of yourself.
- You overcome the myths and stories you once held as true. For example, thinking that to be an effective leader you have to be confident all the time. (This is a big one.)
- You actively uncover the cause of everyday challenges. So rather than ruminating on how annoying your co-worker is, you examine the story about that situation and delve into what your feelings are telling you about wanting more respect and how you might set stronger boundaries.
- You respond gracefully when relationship tensions arise, make clear and laser-focused decisions in the midst of chaos, and discover the opportunity in a challenging situation that lifts you up rather than drags you down.
Imagine what’s possible for you if you could navigate your world – and especially your work life – fully connected to your Emotional Wisdom. Imagine what our world could be if we all accessed our Emotional Wisdom.
Starting on June 4th, I am offering an 8-week hands-on program, Chart Your Path to Emotional Wisdom: A Mental Fitness Practicum, where you’ll learn and practice the skills to make Emotional Wisdom your greatest ally.
I want you to have this knowledge and these skills so that you can benefit from all the gifts and strengths you bring to the table as a leader. When you have emotional wisdom, the people around you – your team, organization, family & friends – benefit too!
