Week 46: Courage To Face a Difficult Emotion

Welcome to Week 46 of the Authenticity@Work Leadership Tool-kit! My intention for this series is to share a quick tool each week to help you lead with more authenticity, adaptability and inspiration so we can together create workplaces where we bring the best of ourselves and inspire others. So grab a journal and an accountability partner to make these practices even more powerful for you!

Welcome to week Forty-Six of the Authenticity@Work series. In last week’s post we talked about the courage to face change as your most authentic self. Did you find ways your authentic self can help you with change?

In working with my executive coaching clients, there are many times we have emotions we unconsciously avoid facing. When we avoid an emotion, we keep a part of ourselves unexpressed, and it shows up in dysfunctional ways elsewhere. Many of us avoid pain, discomfort, or disappointment, so we don’t fully ask for what we want, go after our dreams, or express ourselves fully. Authenticity is about having the courage to access all parts of ourselves (including our emotions) and use them when the need arises.

Avoiding any emotion keeps you stuck in inauthenticity because a part of you remains unacknowledged.

Tears are often considered a no-no in business or corporate settings, yet they are a very human form of expression of energy moving through us. We experience tears when we confront a truth. They are a form of release— washing away debris and illusion. Like Drano, they often help smooth the flow of emotion and allow what is pent up to dissipate. As leaders, we can create a nonjudgmental and compassionate space to let people fully experience the emotion that they are having. As the emotion moves, people return to their more centered selves.

This Week’s Tool:

Questions to ask yourself: Are you suppressing your emotions and unconsciously having them show up in other passive-aggressive behaviors? How can you channel your emotions so you can show up, and stand up, for yourself without blowing up?

Get the latest resources for Authenticity@Work (this tab will get updated with all kinds of cool resources). Curious to know more about the book? Read the reviews about Wired for Authenticity here.

This article was written by Henna Inam, C-level executive coach, global speaker, and author of the book Wired for Disruption. She helps leaders grow their agility to be a force for good and thrive in times of change. They create organizations that drive breakthroughs in innovation, growth, and engagement. In roles including Head E-Innovation and Chief Innovation and Marketing Officer, Henna drove transformation throughout her 20-year corporate career as an executive with Fortune 500 companies. Join the thousands who follow her blog here. Connect on Linkedin.