Athletes learn to control their emotions and feelings to achieve peak performance in sports. This is not a one-size-fits-all concept for all sports or people. For example, higher levels of anger or frustration may be helpful for some in more aggressive sports like boxing or weightlifting. Whereas acknowledging anger or frustration, coping with and releasing these feelings quickly can be more beneficial to keeping focus on sports like golf or bowling. The point is that athletes become exceedingly self-aware of their mental and physical state and adapt to utilize the emotion in their best interest.
Taking a page from sports psychology, the same principles apply to leadership. Your emotional response to events impacts your employees and business outcomes. You have most likely heard of E + R = O or Event plus Response equals Outcome. Jack Canfield first wrote it in his book, First Secrets to Success, and it has been repeated in numerous business and leadership books since.
Awareness of oneself, one’s style, and one’s natural emotional reactions or inactions to events is critical to managing outcomes. Leaders must learn to utilize and control emotional states to adapt to situations.
Between The Lines
I call this keeping your emotions “between the lines.” Emotional swings out of the lines – big highs and lows – impact performance. It can affect confidence, resilience, self-control, and your response. So, where is your emotional sweet spot for peak performance? Where do you listen thoroughly to understand the situation, ask clarifying questions, make sound decisions, and execute? Where do you have the most control over your emotions and thus favorable outcomes? This emotional state, the state of being, is the center line.
If you know the center line, what are your points where dysfunction sets in from emotional impact over performance clarity? This is your ceiling and floor lines. Where is your ceiling for excitement, overconfidence, or arrogance? Where is your pride or egotism level that makes you feel invincible, not clearly seeing the situation, creating risky behavior, and not considering all stakeholders, alternatives, or outcomes?
Where is your floor? What triggers you to have unfavorable responses like taking the frustration out on your people, elevating conversations to more heated discussions, and maybe even pounding on a desk to make your point? Where do you overreact, dwell on the problem, not the solution, point fingers, blame, and have more negative emotional responses versus controlled responses acting with clarity?
Once you know your ceiling, center, and floor lines, you can find ways to cope with your emotions to keep your actions or inactions “between the lines.” If you are approaching the ceiling or floor, what emotions, feelings, and bodily reactions are occurring for you? Are you feeling anxiety, doubt, defeat, elation, or joy? Are you physically hot, sweating, thirsty, experiencing accelerated breathing, increased heart rate, or energy? Identifying emotions or physical reactions while moving toward your ceiling or floor lines can allow you to adapt in the moment, keeping yourself centered for peak performance.
Adapting may include calming yourself with breathing techniques, thinking and speaking positively, and using visualization or self-talk. You may need to ask for a break, drink some water, go for a walk, or simply pause and think before acting. When you lack clarity, reflect on your company mission, values, and vision to reframe and refocus. Test different techniques and determine what works for you.
Practice self-awareness of your emotions and physical reactions to different events or situations. At the first sign of a stimulus leading you to your ceiling or floor lines, adapt with the technique that will keep you centered. You will want to do this personally and professionally to gain the most practice in recognizing, adapting, and performing at your peak.
