Emotional Intelligence's Influence on Performance Under Pressure

The most important lesson I’ve learned as a Marine Officer: Your people will fail. You’ll fail too. It’s inescapable. When failure strikes, it’s EASY to blow a fuse. But here’s the hard truth… Staying calm and level-headed will (almost) always serve you—and your team—better. 1️⃣ Leadership is tested in moments of failure. It’s easy to react emotionally when the stakes are high. But the greatest leaders show restraint. They stay calm, predictable, and steady—even when everything feels like it’s falling apart. 2️⃣ That doesn’t mean intensity has no place. Sometimes, a sharp, deliberate reaction can emphasize urgency or drive home a critical point. But if intensity becomes your default response? You risk breaking trust and damaging morale. 3️⃣ Here’s why calmness matters most: If you’ve built your team effectively, they already know they’ve failed Trust me—they’ll be just as disappointed in themselves (if not more) than you are. They don’t need more pressure. They need your guidance. 4️⃣ In tough moments, your team looks to you for stability. When things go sideways, your response sets the tone. Will you stay composed and focus on solutions? Or will you let emotions take over and fuel the chaos? The choice you make defines your leadership. 5️⃣ Emotional intelligence separates good leaders from great ones. Handling failure with grace and composure builds trust. It shows your team they can count on you—not just when things go right, but when everything’s going wrong. 6️⃣ Questions to ask yourself when failure hits: - Does my team need intensity, or do they need clarity? - Am I reacting emotionally, or leading intentionally? - What example am I setting for my people in this moment? Staying calm under pressure is hard, but it’s what great leaders must do. 7️⃣ Anyone can lose their temper when things fall apart. Few can stay composed and lead through the storm. Be the leader your team looks to for calm and clarity when failure strikes. That’s how trust is built.

The first time I recognized how my emotions were affecting my leadership was during a challenging meeting with my team. I found myself getting defensive; my heart was racing, and my thinking clouded as two team members pushed back on our agenda. Rather than responding effectively, I mentally withdrew. This moment taught me a crucial lesson that would become the cornerstone of our Teams Learning Library's first capability: 𝗞𝗻𝗼𝘄 & 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘄 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳. Research reveals that our brains are designed to have emotional responses before rational thinking kicks in. When a team member challenges us, our amygdala triggers a stress response in milliseconds—long before our prefrontal cortex can analyze what's happening. Through my research and experience developing the Teams Learning Library, I’ve discovered that team leaders who excel in self-awareness focus on three key dimensions: 𝗘𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 - Recognizing your feelings as they arise, understanding their source, and choosing your response rather than reacting automatically 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀 - Understanding how your personality and background shape your natural leadership style, and when that style helps or hinders your team 𝗧𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 - Identifying specific situations that activate your stress response, and developing strategies to manage these moments When leaders lack self-awareness, teams pay the price. I've observed how unexamined triggers lead to inconsistent responses, team members feeling unsafe to share ideas, artificial harmony instead of productive conflict, and leadership that's reactive rather than intentional. As one leader told me: "I was constantly frustrated that my team avoided difficult conversations. It took me months to realize they were mirroring my own discomfort with conflict." The journey to greater self-awareness isn't always comfortable, but it's the foundation upon which all other leadership capabilities build. When you truly know yourself, you can lead with intention rather than reaction. What leadership trigger has been most challenging for you to manage? Share your experience in the comments. P.S. If you’re a leader, I recommend checking out my free challenge: The Resilient Leader: 28 Days to Thrive in Uncertainty  https://lnkd.in/gxBnKQ8n

"She's a pleasure to work with." 💫 That line was buried in a performance review 9 years ago. At the time, I barely registered it. It felt… basic. Like the kind of line they throw in when they can’t think of something better. But today? It's my most powerful leadership asset. Here's the truth about being "pleasant" in business: It's not about being nice. It's about being invaluable. Being the person who: • Stays calm when millions are at stake • Brings clarity when everyone's confused • Solves problems instead of creating drama The data backs this up: ✓ 85% of job success comes from soft skills ✓ High-EQ teams outperform others by 20% ✓ Each "difficult" employee costs $12,000+/year Think about it: In a world of: -Quiet quitting -Toxic workplaces -Digital burnout Being genuinely pleasant isn't just nice It's your competitive advantage. AlexHormozi said it perfectly: "The single greatest skill you can develop is the ability to stay in a great mood in the absence of things to be in a great mood about." That's not just emotional intelligence. That's emotional mastery. That's modern leadership. The truth? Technical skills might get you hired. But emotional skills make you irreplaceable. Your turn: What "basic" compliment became your secret weapon? ♻️ Share if you believe emotional intelligence is the new workplace currency Quote Alex Hormozi