An Introduction to 'Emotional Agility'
Resource: Susan David and Christina Congleton.
Dear Reader,
I recommend developing Emotional Agility skills for clients seeking to establish themselves as leaders and advance their careers.
Susan David’s work has profoundly benefited me personally as a caregiver. Emotional agility is not a magic pill—nothing is. It is a key tool and mindset for navigating life!
I’ll share the work of other experts, e.g., Daniel Goleman on Emotional Intelligence and the amazing Brené Brown. However, this is my number 1 recommendation to everyone.
This article post is a small bitesize introduction to key themes.
The Article and Authors
Susan David and Christina Congleton first published their article ‘Emotional Agility’ in Harvard Business Review (HBR) in November 2013.
Susan David went on to write her book Emotional Agility: Get Unstuck, Embrace Change, and Thrive in Work and Life (Published August 3, 2017) and gave a TED Talk, ‘The Gift and Power of Emotional Courage’ in November 2017.
Susan David is a founder of the Harvard/McLean Institute of Coaching, is on faculty at Harvard Medical School and is recognized as one of the world’s leading management thinkers. She is author of the #1 Wall Street Journal Best Seller Emotional Agility (Avery) based on the concept named by HBR as a Management Idea of the Year. An in-demand speaker and advisor, David has worked with the senior leadership of hundreds of major organizations, including the United Nations, Ernst & Young, and the World Economic Forum. You can receive her free Emotional Agility assessment here. .
Christina Congletonis a leadership and change consultant at Axon Coaching, and researches stress and the brain at the University of Denver. She holds a master’s in human development and psychology from Harvard University.
A Short Video (4 minutes 27 seconds)
Carer Mentor note: When watching the video, think beyond work. Extrapolate the thinking into everyday life contexts. Many people are uncomfortable about discussing negative emotions. Western culture focuses on a 'Stiff upper lip' or 'Being positive for the sake of being positive'. Asian cultures tend to avoid discussing emotions
This video was co-produced between HBR and Emeritus.
Transcript and key phrases.
Timestamp 00:00 "Managing one’s thoughts and feelings is essential to business success." The prevailing wisdom says that negative thoughts and feelings have no place at the office. But that goes against basic biology.
0:32 all healthy human beings have an inner stream of thoughts and feelings that include criticism doubt and fear were designed to anticipating and solving problems while avoiding potential pitfalls.
0:47 leaders often stumble not because they have undesirable thoughts and feelings that's inevitable but because they get hooked by them like fish caught on a line this can happen in two ways
1:00 we might buy into the negative thoughts and feelings treating them like facts and acting accordingly or we can avoid situations that evoke these feelings by for example not taking on new challenges effective leaders don't do either instead they approach negative thoughts and feelings in a mindful values-driven and productive way by developing a powerful skill called emotional agility. This ability to manage one's thoughts and feelings can help people alleviate stress reduce errors, become more innovative and improve job performance. Here are four practices to help you develop emotional agility
Timestamp 01:40 Step 1: Recognize patterns in your thought.
1:42 first recognize patterns in your thoughts and feelings so you can tell when you're hooked on them it's hard to do but there are certain telltale signs. One is that your thinking becomes rigid and repetitive another is that the story your mind is telling you seems like one you've heard before like a rerun of some past experience
Timestamp 02:04 Step 2: Label your thoughts and emotions.
2:06 just as you call a spade a spade call a thought a thought and an emotion an emotion. Labeling them allows you to see your thoughts and feelings for what they are transient sources of data that may or may not be accurate or helpful. Humans are able to take this helicopter view of their own experiences and research shows that this simple practice not only improves behavior and well-being but also promotes beneficial biological changes in the brain and at the cellular level.
Timestamp 03:38 Step 3: Accept your thoughts and emotions.
2:39 then accept your thoughts and emotions instead of resisting them. This allows you to take productive action respond to your ideas and emotions with an open attitude paying attention to them and letting yourself experience them. They may be signaling that something important is at stake when you're feeling hooked take ten deep breaths and notice what's happening in the moment this can bring relief but it won't necessarily make you feel good. In fact you may realize just how upset you really are the important thing is to show yourself and others around you some compassion and examine the reality of the situation
Timestamp 03:17 Step 4: Act on your values.
3:18 and finally act on your values so you can begin to unhook yourself from your difficult thoughts and emotions. By doing so, you expand your choices and increase your ability to act in a way that aligns with your values. Leaders need to focus on the concept of workability is your response going to serve your organization in the long term and take you toward being the leader you most want to be? The mind's thought stream flows endlessly and emotions change like the weather but values can be called on at any time in any situation it's impossible to block out difficult thoughts and emotions. Effective leaders are mindful of their inner experiences but not caught in them. They know how to free up their internal resources and commit to actions that align with their values
4:06 Developing emotional agility is no quick fix even those who regularly use these practices can find themselves hooked but over time leaders who become adept at emotional agility are the ones most likely to thrive
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This is the TED Talk that went viral.
An Interview: Dr. Susan David 'Emotional Agility'
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