When influencing others and leading change, it is extremely important to manage your own emotional and psychological state, and then begin to manage the state of those around you. We often discuss this in Positive Leadership, a course offered by Ross School of Business Executive Education at the University of Michigan. The concept may sound simple, but it is not what we are used to doing inside organizations. Most people spend the majority of time managing professional competence which, while important, already gets plenty of attention.
An executive (“Robert”) recently told me a great story about his experience in managing his own emotional and psychological state. Robert belongs to a very hard-driving, delivery-focused organizational culture. Showing weakness is not normal, and managing personal brand is very important. His style doesn’t match that culture very well, and he regularly had internal struggles when people told him he had to be more direct and challenging in how he manages and leads.
During the program this executive attended, Robert solicited and received feedback as part of completing the Reflected Best Self Exercise. Approximately 15 people in his life (work, family, and friends) each shared three examples of when they thought he was at his best. They talked about his ability to listen, build consensus, and collaborate with others. They mentioned other strengths of his that would be helpful to the organization, but didn’t naturally fit the culture. This experience made Robert feel very good about himself; he was amazed at how many people found his personal style to be helpful and memorable. Through this and other experience during the course, he experienced a new-found confidence and belief in his own abilities.
Upon returning from the course, Robert had another one-on-one with his boss, who again told him he needed to be more direct in his style. Robert told his boss that he didn’t agree and that he had received a lot of feedback saying that there were other talents and styles he had that were valued. He said he was going to focus on using those strengths more moving forward, without worrying about what those around him would think. Robert then described how both peers and more senior colleagues have begun approaching him, asking if they could talk. They are sharing openly things they don’t have answers to, and they are seeking his help. They trust that he won’t judge them, and that he will be open to trying to help them. He is having more impact and seemed much more confident in the follow-up day than he had come across in the original course. This executive had plenty of professional competence but was lacking the psychological and emotional confidence to trust in what he was really good at and where he brought the most value. What are you doing to manage your own emotional and psychological state?
Positive Leadership is a course that will help you understand powerful concepts, backed by research, through a wide range of experiential learning. You will walk away with new tools, but more importantly, an enhanced ability to manage your own emotional and psychological state.
