Chances are you've had negative thoughts — self-doubt, fear, criticism — creep into your mind while you're at work.
When negative feelings push their way into a leader's head, they can quickly start to damage their performance. Knowing how to manage these thoughts and feelings can help reduce stress, cut down on errors and even lead to improved job performance.
But how do you kiss self-doubt, fear and crticism goodbye when they creep into your psyche? Well, for starters you should not bottle them up or wish them away, say Susan David and Christina Congleton, authors of the Harvard Business Review article "Emotional Agility." Instead, David and Congleton say you need to "unhook" yourself from these emotions when you experience them.
In their HBR article, David and Congleton outline four practices to help manage negative thoughts and feelings, both personally and professionally. And while the authors readily admit that developing emotional agility is not a quick fix for difficult thoughts and emotions, it can lead to more effective leadership.
To learn how to better manage these emotions and improve your leadership skills, download this HBR article.
Ginny Holden is an independent consultant who brings the practice of IT to life through memorable storytelling.