Emotions are your strength
Have you ever felt that being emotional is a sign of weakness?
I’m here to tell you that, as a matter of fact, you can be emotional and strong.
After hearing the same mental model from thousands of people — that showing emotion in the workplace is a weakness; the idea of writing The Emotionally Strong Leader was born.
I’m a highly sensitive person and also an Emotional Intelligence expert. Some might find this contradicting, but I want to share a new perspective with you that may just change your mind.
Emotions are not weaknesses. Emotions are our strengths.
Emotions are the language that unites us and something that we all have in common despite how diverse or dispersed across the world we may be. The moment we stop trying to avoid what makes us similar is the moment we’ll become a more connected society.
Those who are emotionally intelligent are very aware of their emotions. They’re in control of them and eventually master how to use them in the most beneficial way possible — enhanced communication skills, improved decision-making tactics and the ability to build solid relationships. They help us understand others and, most importantly, ourselves.
Emotions give you the power to interact effectively with others, so yes, being emotional and emotionally expressive makes you a strong individual.
What inspired me?
As an educator and corporate trainer, I noticed a problem in our educational system that is also transgressing into the corporate world — people mostly avoid opening up about their emotions and dismiss them as part of who they are.
This problem inspired me to show the world that feelings can provide significant awareness of ourselves, others and the external world.
However, two fallacies also contributed to my decision to become an author.
1. People are scared of emotional expression in the workplace. I couldn’t understand why people feared their emotions because they’re just feelings. Feelings are not good or bad, right or wrong, but just an emotional experience or reaction to a person, event or situation. And we feel all kinds of emotions all day long.
2. Leaders think they have to solve other people’s emotional problems. They don’t. Leaders shouldn’t think it’s their responsibility to be their team’s therapist. When exposed to other people’s emotions, we as leaders need to hear them out, ask them what they need from us for support and act on their feedback — that’s it. By asking questions and listening to their responses, your staff will teach you how to lead them.
So many leaders are frightened to share their feelings or ask others about theirs. I wanted to provide leaders with the tools and confidence to tend to emotions in the workplace. Because of this, I’ve developed an approach for enhancing your emotional knowledge and skills.
My Self-Coaching to Enhanced Emotional Intelligence Model is a six-step framework backed by leading science and grounded in my decades of in-the-field experience. It is a personal, step-by-step process where you first identify the specific emotional skills that most impact your leadership and life. This model will help you better understand yourself as a leader and how to help others.
What is the purpose?
The purpose of my book is to connect with my readers and walk them through the steps of leading with a strong mind and a kind heart and provide a set of clear, simple, and tested strategies. Inside the pages of my book, I share my own struggles as I did not grow up with emotionally superb role models, probably not any different than most of you.
I spent the last two decades synthesizing everything I’ve studied and researched in education, psychology, and business, as well as what I’ve learned, witnessed, and experienced in my classes and inside hundreds of organizations, to teach the emotional skills necessary for both students and leaders to thrive.
I want to show people that every one of us can lead with emotional intelligence, it’s today’s leadership superpower. And it’s inside each of us; we just need to learn how to tap into our power.
So, what’s in it for you?
Practicing emotional intelligence can help us uncover our barriers to growth and change. You’ll learn how to do that by reading The Emotionally Strong Leader. It will help you connect with people more authentically, communicate more effectively, and thrive more collectively.
The main takeaway should be that this book will teach you not to fear your emotions or those of others. Instead, you’ll learn to embrace and celebrate them!
Are you interested in learning more? You can now pre-order my book.
I’d love to know more about your journey with emotional intelligence! Stay connected with me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
