Developing Emotional Agility: How Small Business Leaders Can Adapt to Change and Uncertainty
June 26, 2023
The world of small business is an unpredictable kaleidoscope, a terrain marked by the continuous dance of change and uncertainty.
Yet, this should not invoke fear or resistance; instead, it provides an opportunity for growth and innovation.
The best small business leaders understand this and lean into the ebb and flow of change, armed with a toolkit of emotional agility. But what does this term mean, and how can leaders cultivate it within themselves?
Let’s dive into this concept of developing emotional agility: how small business leaders can adapt to change and uncertainty.
Emotional agility: An overview
To illustrate, let’s imagine you’re sailing a boat. The sea is often calm, but occasionally the waves pick up, a storm approaches or the wind changes direction. What do you do?
If you fight against the storm, you might lose your boat. Instead, you adjust your sails, redirect your vessel and use the storm as a chance to test your sailing skills.
Similarly, emotional agility is your ability to navigate life’s emotional storms, especially in the small business environment. Developed by psychologist Susan David, this concept underscores the importance of understanding and managing emotions, particularly under duress or change.
In essence, emotional agility is about adapting, learning and progressing, instead of becoming stagnant or overwhelmed.
The linchpin of small business leadership
Imagine owning a bakery that’s been operating successfully in your local community. Suddenly, a large franchise opens across the street, snatching away your loyal customers.
How would you react? Anger? Fear? Disappointment?
This is where emotional agility steps in. It encourages you to understand these emotions rather than deny them. It invites you to see the franchise as a wake-up call to innovate, a chance to offer unique products or services that the franchise cannot.
Your bakery’s survival lies in your emotional agility — your ability to leverage your emotions into strategic thinking.
Emotionally agile leaders display resilience, handle stress better, maintain perspective and make wiser decisions, making emotional agility a linchpin in effective small business leadership.
Cultivating emotional agility
Now, let’s get down to the nuts and bolts: how do you develop emotional agility?
Let’s explore.
#1. Show up to your emotions
First, acknowledge your feelings without judgment. If you’re feeling threatened by a competitor or anxious about a business decision, that’s okay.
Suppressing or ignoring your emotions can lead to burnout or rash decisions. The act of recognizing your emotions is an important step toward managing them effectively.
#2. Step out of your emotions
Once you’ve identified your feelings, create some space between them and you. Remember, you are not your emotions. You’re the captain of your ship, not the storm.
By observing your emotions from a distance, you can prevent them from overwhelming you or dictating your actions.
#3. Walk your ‘why’
Use your emotions to identify your values. For instance, if the thought of losing your bakery stirs up fear, perhaps it’s because you value community connection or entrepreneurial freedom.
These values can then guide your decision-making and motivate you to face challenges head-on.
#4. Move on
Finally, channel your emotions into action. It’s not enough to simply acknowledge your emotions; you must also use them to propel you forward.
Embrace your fears or frustrations as catalysts for change, driving you to learn, innovate and grow.
Emotional agility in action
Consider our bakery example again. The owner, John, feels threatened by the franchise. He recognizes his emotions and understands that he’s feeling fearful because he values his bakery’s independence and role in the community.
Instead of reacting impulsively, John channels his fear into action. He organizes a local food festival, collaborates with other small businesses and introduces unique baked goods that the franchise doesn’t offer.
His fear, instead of paralyzing him, sparks creativity and strategic thinking.
That’s emotional agility in action: leveraging emotions to adapt, innovate and steer the small business ship through the stormy seas of change.
The payoff of emotional agility
Emotionally agile leaders like John are better equipped to navigate uncertainty, view challenges as opportunities and lead their businesses toward growth and resilience.
Their ability to understand and harness their emotions fosters a healthy work environment, inspiring and motivating their teams to do the same.
In fact, Gallup found that managers who are adept at handling their emotions can raise their team’s performance by up to 20%. Imagine the impact on your small business with a team performing at such an elevated level!
The continuous journey of emotional agility
Developing emotional agility isn’t a one-and-done deal. It’s an ongoing journey of self-awareness and growth, an essential facet of small business leadership.
With each challenge that arises, emotional agility provides a compass to navigate uncertainty, seize opportunities and guide your small business toward success.
So, next time you face a daunting change, remember: you’re the captain of your ship. By embracing emotional agility, you’ll be equipped to steer your vessel, no matter how rough the seas of small business may get.
Nurturing a culture of emotional agility
But, how do you foster emotional agility beyond yourself, extending it to your entire team? Here are a few strategies:
#1. Normalize emotions at work
Create a workplace culture that accepts and encourages emotional expression. Make it okay for your team to express their feelings, to voice their concerns and fears.
#2. Empower your team
Equip your team with the skills to manage their emotions. Invest in workshops or training that cultivate emotional agility, resilience and adaptability.
#3. Lead by example
Your team looks to you for cues. Display emotional agility in your actions and decisions. Show your team how to leverage emotions for creativity and strategic thinking.
Emotionally agile teams are more resilient, adaptable, and innovative — qualities essential to thriving in the ever-changing world of small business.
In the fluid world of small business leadership, emotional agility is not a mere option but a necessity. It’s a dynamic skill that empowers you to navigate change and uncertainty, seize opportunities, and guide your team and business toward success.
So, the next time you encounter a storm in your small business seas, remember: you have the emotional agility to adjust your sails, face the winds of change and guide your ship safely to shore.
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