Are you a moody person, someone who sometimes finds your emotions at odds with your leadership?
Do your emotions sometimes get the best of you to the point that it affects your attitude and mindset?
People often talk about monitoring and managing emotions, but that’s not always possible. Here are seven things to try if your emotions are making you, and everyone around you, suffer:
1. Make personality a priority.
Whatever your position, the things you do and say affect everyone around you. Try to keep your actions and words grounded in your core personality–that is, your values and principles–so that passing moods have less room for influence. It may take effort and hard work to keep your awareness focused, but it’s worth the effort in maintaining important relationships. Whatever the situation, never let your moodiness overpower your intelligence and values, and never allow it to drive others away.
2. Mind your manners. Simple manners can prevent the worst of the damage that moodiness can inflict. Remember the simple principles of polite behavior: Don’t speak in anger or talk when you have nothing to add. Listen before talking and don’t interrupt. Say “please” and “thank you.” Be courteous to others and work to help them be comfortable and at their best around you, no matter how you’re feeling. Make sure politeness and civility always carry the day.
3. Take inventory. As with other things, periodically we need to stop and take an account of ourselves. How is my behavior? How do I interact with others? Do I model a positive attitude or impose my emotions on those around me? Aim to be the kind of person who is calm, compassionate and confident. Especially during periods of moodiness, take frequent inventory of your actions–and then align that inventory with the outcomes you want in your relationships with others and the changes you need to make to achieve those outcomes.
4. Be contagious in a positive way. Good moods are as contagious as bad moods, and we always have the choice of which we will model. The most successful people display moods and behaviors that match the situation at hand, with a healthy dose of optimism and positivity mixed in. Even when they’re in a bad mood, they respect how other people are feeling. They know how move forward with enthusiasm and positivity even when they aren’t 100 percent feeling it.
5. Model the example. If you don’t want to get caught up in your moods, model the example you want to see in others. if you want to be surrounded by positivity, work on reframing your bad foul moods into good positive thoughts. Shift and reframe your behavior so you can model what you want to see around you. Being moody is never productive. It makes those around you feel defensive or even unsafe.
6. Look for the good in others. Moodiness can come from internal or external sources–something somewhere that isn’t working out as it should. But if you can look for the good in others, if you can hold an awareness of their greatness and their gifts, that thinking can actually shift your mood. Let it be seen that you are always on the lookout for what is right with people, always working to catch someone doing the right thing. And when you do find them, appreciate and recognize them for it. Those who look for the good in others will naturally bring out the good in themselves.
As a person who strives for happiness and success, you can always set your behavior to foster trust and respect from those around you, and better feelings within yourself.
N A T I O N A L B E S T S E L L E R
THE LEADERSHIP GAP
What Gets Between You and Your Greatness
After decades of coaching powerful executives around the world, Lolly Daskal has observed that leaders rise to their positions relying on a specific set of values and traits. But in time, every executive reaches a point when their performance suffers and failure persists. Very few understand why or how to prevent it.
Additional Reading you might enjoy:
- 12 Successful Leadership Principles That Never Grow Old
- A Leadership Manifesto: A Guide To Greatness
- How to Succeed as A New Leader
- 12 of The Most Common Lies Leaders Tell Themselves
- 4 Proven Reasons Why Intuitive Leaders Make Great Leaders
- The One Quality Every Leader Needs To Succeed
- The Deception Trap of Leadership
Photo Credit: Getty Images
Of Lolly’s many awards and accolades, Lolly was designated a Top-50 Leadership and Management Expert by Inc. magazine. Huffington Post honored Lolly with the title of The Most Inspiring Woman in the World. Her writing has appeared in HBR, Inc.com, Fast Company (Ask The Expert), Huffington Post, and Psychology Today, and others. Her newest book, The Leadership Gap: What Gets Between You and Your Greatness has become a national bestseller.