Emotions Are Not Noise. They’re Intelligence in Disguise
Contrary to what many might think... listening for and using emotions, could be the strategic advantage of workforces in the future.
If you’re like me, you’ve grown up in organisations where ‘emotions’, were broadly not welcome at work. It was a tough, patriarchal place to be and thrive.
Thank goodness that’s changing. Here’s some of the reasons why:
Rational only decision making, isn’t working.
For decades, we purposefully engineered emotions out of the workplace, and then were surprised people were quitting. 😵💫 Traditionally, leadership valued logic, rational thinking, efficiency and control at the top table. This absence of emotional insights has led us to the highest burn-out and toxic cultures in history. Emotions, are now being recognized as data - and can provide a vital sign of what’s working & not.
Ai & Automation, is making us more human at work.
The more we are adopting Ai, the more important it is that we are humane at work. This could be the best unintended consequence of Ai - I’m hoping ☺️ As automation takes out of the workforce routine, repetitive work - skills like empathy, creativity, judgment, and ethics are rising in value. Emotional intelligence is becoming a competitive advantage, not just a nice-to-have.
Neuroscience & Behavioural Insights are becoming better understood.
There’s been some excellent commentators and theorists who have linked us as leaders to the power of our brain in generating and managing emotions. Whether its Lisa Feldman Barrett, Daniel Goleman, or Susan David - these leading thinkers have demonstrated how emotions aren’t irrational, they are constructed, interpretable signals. Emotions drive decision-making, memory, learning, and motivation, and emotional agility is now a science-backed leadership skill.
Burn-out, stress & disengagement is now recognised for its impact on business.
Year after year, Gallup (the leading commentators on workplace wellbeing) illuminate that global employee engagement remains low, and isn’t rising. It’s impacting business because people are low in productivity when they disengage, and then they leave. Boom, high cost, and cultural disruption. And still, we are letting them. They are leaving because we are not meeting their emotional needs - no pay-rise will fix someone who doesn’t feel seen, heard, or valued. 😩 You need to watch for the emotional clues, or it will cost your business dearly.
Employees expectations have changed.
The workforce of the future are more emotionally mature. They demand different. Gen Z and Millennials want authenticity, meaning, and well-being at work as table-stakes. As a result, leaders who ignore emotions are seen as out of touch or even harmful. People are no longer staying in jobs that ‘feel wrong’, even if they pay well. And companies are now realising that that purpose, belonging, and alignment of values does drive performance. Emotionally attuned cultures lead to much higher creativity,, collaboration, faster innovation, and more loyal customers.
Emotional Leadership is my favourite topic of the month (you can download my eBook for free here on the full story). And here is a short clip from our introduction Online Forum about the 3 most powerful emotions at work - Fear, Love and Hope.
What can you put in place to listen more for how people are feeling at work?
What are you seeing changing in people’s behaviour?
Which emotion could you lean into more to adapt your culture for better?
How do you normalise feelings in your workplace, so people feel safe to talk about them?
Post your ideas in the comments so we can all learn to lead more effectively 😍