Emotional Competence and Decision Making

A senior manager I worked with used to pride himself on keeping emotions out of leadership decisions. Then during a major organizational restructure, his "rational" approach backfired spectacularly. In team meetings, his suppressed anxiety leaked out as sharp criticism. His unprocessed frustration with upper management showed up as dismissiveness toward his team's concerns. His unacknowledged grief about changing relationships manifested as resistance to collaboration. The irony? By ignoring his emotions, they were controlling his leadership more than ever. This experience taught him a crucial lesson about the first capability in our Teams Learning Library: Know & Grow Yourself. Emotional awareness helps leaders make more effective decisions. We introduced him to a simple practice: the Daily Emotional Weather Report. Each morning, he spent five minutes noting his emotions without judgment, just as he'd check the weather forecast. His entries looked like this: "Today I'm feeling anxious (7/10) about the budget presentation and hopeful (6/10) about the new team structure. Also noticing some resentment (4/10) about yesterday's last-minute changes." The transformation was remarkable. Simply naming emotions reduced their hidden influence on his decisions. In a particularly challenging conversation about timeline changes, he was able to acknowledge his frustration without letting it drive his response. He later told me: "Before this practice, emotions felt like disruptions to leadership. Now I realize they're information. When I acknowledge them consciously, they inform my decisions rather than take them over." Research supports this approach: leaders who process emotions regularly make more balanced decisions and connect more authentically with their teams during difficult periods. The practice takes five minutes but creates clarity that lasts all day. When you know your emotional weather, you can dress appropriately for the conditions ahead. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁'𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗴𝗼-𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗶𝗾𝘂𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗲𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗱𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗺𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀? 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲.

When I started my own company, I thought making good decisions meant just being super logical, like, relying only on numbers, data, and facts. 🤔💭 But honestly, that’s not the whole story. Turns out, feelings are both your biggest enemy and your best friend when it comes to decisions. When you're choosing something important, like launching an app, picking your team, or figuring out if you should change direction, it’s easy to let emotions mess things up. Stuff like being overly optimistic, liking someone too quickly, or refusing to quit when something clearly isn't working, these are emotional traps. But here’s the weird (and kinda cool) part: once you've actually made a decision, emotions suddenly become super helpful. If you don't feel excited or confident about your choice, you'll never really commit to it. Science backs this up: without emotions, people literally can’t make up their minds (it's a real thing, look up Phineas Gage here: https://lnkd.in/gCgw-7BW). And guess what!? Even when dealing with businesses (B2B stuff, which sounds super serious), emotions matter more than I ever thought they would. It turns out that the bigger or scarier a decision is, the more important your feelings become. People have to feel good about saying YES first, then they'll use logic later to justify it. That’s why, when I'm pitching investors or talking to customers, I always lead with a story or vision. 𝐄𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐬 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐢𝐧; 𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐢𝐜 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐲.💡 There’s no such thing as a perfect choice. You just gotta pick something, feel good about it, and then work hard to make it the right choice. Inspiration: Stanford LEAD "Neuroscience and the Connection to Exemplary Leadership" by Professor Baba Shiv. #Startups #Entrepreneurship #Leadership #Emotionalintelligence #Confidence

Do you want to avoid being 75% less smart? Here’s a sobering statistic from neuroscience: when you get triggered emotionally, you lose 75% of your thinking capacity. Yet at the exact same moment, you become more certain that you’re right. Think about that. Your brain is working at 25% capacity, but you’re convinced you have all the answers. You’re not listening, you’re not seeing other options, you are being judgemental,  but you’re absolutely sure you know what needs to happen. I see this constantly in leadership situations. Someone gets defensive in a meeting, their thinking narrows, and suddenly they’re interrupting, not hearing input, making polarized right-wrong decisions. This is why I learned that it’s not EQ or IQ; it’s EQ and IQ working together. Emotional intelligence – the ability to recognize and manage emotions – is what keeps your thinking brain online. When notice I'm getting triggered and use EQ skills to stay calm (see my last post about the SOS strategy), I maintain access to all my cognitive abilities. But if I don't manage the emotional response and let myself get triggered, I lose 75% of my thinking capacity. EQ isn't separate from intelligence – it's what allows you to actually use your intelligence when it matters most. Your body gives you early warning signals before your brain catches up. I feel tightness in my chest and my hands actually shake a little. I’ve worked with surgeons who notice the same thing – their hands shake when they’re emotionally triggered! Where do you feel it in your body when you start getting triggered? Learning to recognize these signals is your first line of defense against making decisions with a quarter of your brain.

Your emotions are sabotaging your million-dollar decisions every single day. As a business coach, I've watched countless entrepreneurs torpedo their own success because they let feelings drive their strategy. That "gut feeling" to pivot your entire business model? The urge to slash prices when a competitor launches? The impulse to hire your friend's nephew because he "seems motivated"? These aren't strategic moves - they're emotional reactions that cost you revenue, time, and market position. The most successful business owners I work with have mastered one critical skill: emotional discipline. They pause, analyze, and decide based on data and long-term vision, not temporary feelings. 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲: 𝟭. 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝟮𝟰-𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗿𝘂𝗹𝗲. Never make major decisions in the heat of the moment. Sleep on it, review your numbers, then decide. 𝟮. 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗳𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀. Establish clear criteria for common decisions before emotions get involved. When opportunity or crisis hits, you'll have objective guidelines to follow. 𝟯. 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗯𝗼𝗮𝗿𝗱. Surround yourself with trusted advisors who can provide outside perspective when your emotions cloud judgment. Remember: feelings are temporary, but business decisions have lasting consequences. Master your emotions, and you'll master your market. #businesscoach #strategies #emotionaldiscipline

This is a principle I’ve championed throughout my career in emotional intelligence research. When we truly listen to our emotions, we gain invaluable insights about ourselves and our world. Think about it: • Anger often points to injustice or violated boundaries • Sadness can reveal what’s truly important to us • Joy highlights our values and what fulfills us • Fear alerts us to potential threats or areas where we need growth By developing our emotional intelligence, we can better understand these internal signals. This self-awareness not only improves our decision-making but also enhances our relationships and overall well-being. Remember, emotions aren’t problems to be solved—they’re data to be understood. What are your emotions teaching you today? #EmotionalIntelligence #SelfAwareness #PersonalGrowth #RULER

I’d like to share some observations I’ve had about the leaders I work with and stir some discussion here. I’ve discovered that most of the decisions leaders make seem to be guided more by their feelings and gut intuition rather than solely by data and analysis. 🌟 Of course, they refer to data and analysis: ➡️ They often review extensive data and documents before making decisions. ➡️ They also engage in multiple rounds of team discussions, where they refer to data, information, and analysis vigorously. However, when it comes to making the final decision, it often appears that their gut feeling and emotions play a significant role. I’d love to hear your thoughts on this. In my view, several reasons why leaders’ decision-making is often influenced by heart and gut intuition: 🌍 Emotional Factors: Emotions play a significant role in decision-making. They can provide immediate feedback and influence our choices based on personal values, experiences, and desires, which may not always be captured by data. 🌍Complexity and Uncertainty: In many situations, the available data may be incomplete or ambiguous. Intuition can help fill in gaps and make decisions in the face of uncertainty, especially when quick action is needed. 🌍Personal Experience: Our past experiences and instincts often guide us. Intuition draws on accumulated knowledge and past patterns that may not be fully represented in the data. 🌍Cognitive Biases: Cognitive biases can affect how we interpret data. Our preferences and beliefs can shape how we analyze information, leading to decisions that align more with our instincts than objective analysis. 🌍Decision Fatigue: Analyze extensive data can be overwhelming and lead to decision fatigue. In such cases, relying on intuition can be a simpler, more manageable approach. 🌍Value Alignment: Data may not always align with personal or organizational values. Decisions based on intuition and emotional alignment can better reflect what is meaningful or important to us. While data and analysis are crucial for informed decision-making, intuition and emotional insights often provide valuable context and guidance that data alone may not fully capture. This write-up calls for diverse views and discussion, so feel free to share your thoughts in the comments. Catherine Keep in touch: https://lnkd.in/g-j_Q3Ss • Newsletter: https://lnkd.in/g-AD5aEP #LeadershipCExec #decisionmaking #leadership #leadershipeffectiveness #effectiveleadership

Have you ever let your emotions drive your decision-making in your business, and later regret the decision you made? I am sure we can all relate at some point. Well, I have a solution to prevent emotional decision-making from happening in the future. When I work with my executive clients, one of the first skills we work on is self-awareness of one's emotions. On a scale from 0-10, with 10 feeling that emotion the strongest, when your emotional state is a 7 or above, your logic drops. This is when you don’t want to make any major business decisions or have important interactions. And guess what, this also applies to feeling happy! Imagine a huge deal goes through and you’re a 10 out of 10. You are probably likely to give everyone raises, which you might quickly regret. So, when you are a 7 or above, you need to apply skills to get to a 6 or below. Then you are ready to jump back into the business world. Here are 5 skills you can apply to lower your emotional state: 1. Practice circular breathing for 5-10 min. 4 sec in, 4 sec hold, 4 sec out, 4 sec hold. 2. Take a cold shower for 5 minutes. 3. Go for a 10-20 min non-judgmental walk. Just state facts of what you see on your walk. 4. Do 5-10 min of light exercise. 5. Find a quiet space and meditate. Close your eyes and visualize your thoughts as leafs floating by you. Let go of those judgmental thoughts to clear your mind. Pro-tip: Practice mindfulness daily to help reduce the peak in emotions and gain a higher level of self-awareness. Also, this concept can be utilized if you are struggling with burnout or mental challenges. It can help you improve your emotional state and relationships at times of adversity. Ready to become a master of self-awareness and decision-making? → 📌 comment Follow Alex Wisch for more content on #leadership, #mindset, and achieving #PeakPerformance.

4 EQ Questions to Make Leadership Decisions With Confidence:   Emotional Intelligence (EQ) has been one of my secret weapons for making decisions. Whether it’s handling difficult employees or making big career moves, these four EQ-based questions have never let me down:   ✨ EQ Pillar 1 Self-Awareness Ask yourself: How are confirmation bias, sunk-cost fallacy, or my emotions impacting this decision? Acknowledging these forces helps you separate facts from feelings.   ✨ EQ Pillar 2 Self-Management Ask yourself: Am I basing this decision on stories I’ve made up in my head or neutral facts? It’s easy to let our assumptions take the wheel, but grounding in facts leads to clarity.   ✨ EQ Pillar 3 Others Awareness Ask yourself: What might other stakeholders see, hear, or feel about this situation that I don’t necessarily experience? Understanding their perspectives fosters better collaboration and stronger outcomes.   ✨ EQ Pillar 4 Relationship Management Ask yourself: Am I being clear on my decision and expectations for next steps? How will I handle pushback? Clear communication and proactive planning are essential for implementation. What questions help guide your leadership decisions?