102: Emotions and the Workplace - (Chapter 4)

Tammy drops a truth bomb right from the start: Our emotions, not our thoughts, motivate us. This episode is a quick, hard-hitting guide on how your emotions can either drive you forward or keep you and your team stuck in a pattern of limiting beliefs. Tammy provides a four-point framework to help you master self-awareness, manage your emotional triggers, and turn your emotional intelligence into the "entry ticket" for every successful conversation.

 

Key Takeaways for Leaders

• Emotions Win: We move in the direction of the dominant emotion. If you don't own your emotions, they own you and will hijack your team's success.

• The Power Pause: When emotions start to rise, push the pause button, take a breath, and ask the next best question to slow down the spin.

• The Real Raw Material: Emotions are not the enemy; they are the raw material of trust, connection, and performance.

• Words Create Pictures: The language you use creates a visual in your mind, and you attach emotions to that picture, which directly creates your performance. Change the words, change the outcome.

 

The 4 Points for Emotional Mastery

1. Awareness is Your Entry Ticket: Your self-awareness is the entry ticket to every conversation and problem-solving at every level. If you are dysregulated, you cannot be situationally aware of others.

2. Vacancy is as Dangerous as Volatility: Retreating, sitting silent, and vacating a difficult moment is just as damaging to trust as blowing up. It communicates a "No Vacancy" sign that pushes people away.

3. Self-Efficacy Fuels Collective Efficacy: If key players on your team lose the belief that they can succeed (self-efficacy), it bleeds into the whole team's belief (collective efficacy).

4. Words Create Pictures, Pictures Create Performance: Be intentional about the words you and your team use, as the visualizations attached to them pre-determine your results.

 

Actionable Tools & Quotes

• Quote: "Your emotional awareness and ability to handle feelings will actually determine your success and happiness." — John Gottman

• Quote: "If you don't own your emotions, they own you."

• The 24/72 Rule: When hijacked by emotions, utilize the 24-hour push-pause option (or 24/24/24) to process, go back to the conversation, and check in again.

• Your Challenge: Master self-awareness by tuning into your physical and mental triggers (heart rate, gut feeling) before you engage.

 

Leadership is not a solo sport—it requires self-awareness and emotional awareness. Head on over and subscribe to the Leadership Sandbox channel on YouTube, drop your emoji in the comments, and share this episode with someone who needs an emotional regulator right now.