Are you experiencing brain fog? Or, maybe it’s a combination of brain fog, with a wide range of emotions? I wouldn’t be surprised. Stress can wreak havoc on our cognition and emotions. But take heart: wise leaders benefit from emodiversity.
In the May 2019 issue of the Journal of Experimental Psychology, researchers published their findings on emotions and wise reasoning. In the past, theories suggested that the downregulation of emotion may lead to better decision making. But new research finds that recognizing and balancing emotions stimulates insights, and better reasoning.
The researchers studied over 3,500 participants in five studies, testing how wisdom-related characteristics—humility, recognition of a changing world, transcendence, and value for diversity of perspective—relate to intensity and richness of emotions in specific situations. They found that a rich and balanced emotional life can benefit wise reasoning.
How do leaders balance their emotions? First, emotional awareness is key. Knowing what you feel, and how often you experience the feeling, may be more effective than knowing why.
Wise Leaders Keep a Journal
If you aren’t already, keep a journal. Give yourself permission to write your thoughts and feelings for a minimum of five minutes, without any editing: no grammar, spelling, or content corrections. Allow yourself to go longer, if needed.
A journal will also allow you to track your inner crowd, which I wrote about in my last post. As Dan Ciampa wrote in Harvard Business Review, “The More Senior Your Job Title, the More You Need to Keep a Journal” (July, 2017), learning what is important and what lessons should be learned happens after the fact. It allows for more meaningful, and productive, exploration of alternative solutions. A wise leader’s journal includes thoughts, feelings, and events: what happened, and how the leader reacted.
It also allows you to note positive and negative emotions, key to creating emodiversity.
Balance Positive and Negative Emotions
Wise leaders understand that both positive and negative emotions work in the decision making process. Positive emotions open us; they expand our social, physical and cognitive resources. Negative emotions serve to limit our thoughts and behaviors; they help us to focus and act more decisively in times of stress or crisis. But an imbalance can sap our energy and lead to brain fog.
Research conducted by organizational psychologist Marcial Losada, PhD, along with psychologist Barbara Fredrickson, PhD, finds that a 3:1 positivity-to-negativity ratio is ideal for optimal functioning. Wise leaders track their ratio, and when needed, increase positive moments.
To reduce the impact of negative moments, practice mindfulness meditation; observe your thoughts without judgment. I’ve written about this here.
If you are getting caught up in negative thinking, try these tips suggested in Fredrickson’s book, Positivity: Groundbreaking Research Reveals How to Embrace the Hidden Strength of Positive Emotions, Overcome Negativity and Thrive (Crown Archetype, 2009):
- Recognize and counter negative thinking habits (always/never, most/least, internal/external).
- Distract yourself from rumination.
- Practice mindfulness (observe without judgment).
- Limit your exposure to bad news streams.
- Avoid gossip and sarcasm, and increase positive feedback to others.
- Practice gratitude, and smile more.
Wise leadership envisions the best possible future for everyone. As Stephen S. Hall writes in Wisdom (Random House, 2010):
“In an age of reason, thought will seem like wisdom’s most esteemed companion. In an age of sentiment, emotion will seem like the wisest guide. But when human survival is paramount, social practicality and science are likelier to lead us through to better times.”
What do you think? As a wise leader, how is your emodiversity? I’d love to hear from you. I can be reached here, on LinkedIn, or give me a call: 561-582-6060.
