Leaders that are not committed to regulating their own emotions, especially anxiety will meet their team with defensiveness and break down the communication greatly reducing the effectiveness of the meeting. Everyone is nervous when they put their ideas on the line and open themselves up for criticism, but this can be made worse by the unique position of power and influence that a leader has within their organization. When implementing a new strategy a leader needs to be careful to build their team up and allow them to feel safe to voice their concerns and struggles.I think leaders' roles in setting the tone for emotional safety and wellness within the workplace. By modeling effective emotional regulation, they can single-handedly change the way hot topics and crucial conversations are handled within the team and organization as a whole. I think this has strong parallels to a classroom, because much like a teacher sets the tone for staying calm in an emergency or high stress situation, a leader in a business functions the same way.
Why is Self-Differentiated Leadership Important
Leaders have the power to make or break any organization's bid to strive for growth and innovation. Leaders that often reflect on their own
Leaders have the power to make or break any organization's bid to strive for growth and innovation. Leaders that often reflect on their own thoughts, strengths and weaknesses, and emotions are more successful because they address their own issues instead of deflecting them onto their employees or teammates. Self-differentiated leaders are able to separate their own anxiety from the task at hand and are much more adequately adapted to dealing with workplace issues in an objective manner reacting only in a rational and appropriate way, whereas other leaders may have knee-jerk reactions or allow their own anxieties to cause a more elevated reaction than what is necessary.
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Self-differentiated leaders are so effective because of their ability to separate their own anxieties from the issue at hand, thus making it easier to facilitate crucial conversations that are effective and create positive change with mutual respect as the basis of every exchange, especially crucial conversations, like the examples below.
, strengths and weaknesses, and emotions are more successful because they address their own issues instead of deflecting them onto their employees or teammates. Self-differentiated leaders are able to separate their own anxiety from the task at hand and are much more adequately adapted to dealing with workplace issues in an objective manner reacting only in a rational and appropriate way, whereas other leaders may have knee-jerk reactions or allow their own anxieties to cause a more elevated reaction than what is necessary.
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Self-differentiated leaders are so effective because of their ability to separate their own anxieties from the issue at hand, thus making it easier to facilitate crucial conversations that are effective and create positive change with mutual respect as the basis of every exchange, especially crucial conversations, like the examples below.
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​Introducing a new project or goal (innovation)
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Leading a group through a difficult time of change and innovations
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Setting clear healthy boundaries within a team and/or workplace
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Self-Differentiated Reflections
Resources:
Patterson, K., Grenny, J., & Swizler, A. (2012). Crucial conversations: tools for talking when stakes are high. (2nd ed.). McGraw-Hill New York, NY.