Emotions - the wellbeing foundation

What’s your view of emotions at work as a focus for leaders? 

Marc Brackett, PhD, founding director of the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence, doesn't mince his words in his 2019 bestseller "Permission to Feel." Emotions shape our environment and they shape how we act. That means they always matter and emotional intelligence matters. Leaders and teams need it.

A fair few people I’ve come across in working life get sniffy, jokey or deprecating when I bring up the topic of emotions (yes, feelings!) at work. But emotions are everywhere people are (how could it possibly be any other way?). How we deal with them affects our lives and relationships. Should we ignore this just because we happen to be at work? My guess: these reactions are fuelled by emotions - insecurity, discomfort, perhaps even fear. 

In the book, Brackett provides a science-backed route to emotional intelligence. It starts with noticing and naming your own emotions and ends with ways of managing them so they don’t get in the way, but instead serve you well. 

As Brackett points out, this isn’t about sitting around and ‘sharing our emotions’. It’s about becoming adept at knowing your own emotions (as well as recognising and asking about those of others), to experience them, learn from them and manage them - and by doing so, better navigate life, work and relationships. 

How do you see it?