The aspiring business leader has a lot to learn -�C sales skills, communication skills and the ins and outs of his or her industry �C- but should basic psychology be added to the list? Of course, understanding others’ motivations, fears and hang-ups, is a key part of being a good leader, but an article of OPEN Forum citing work by David Rock author of argues that knowing your own emotions is key as well.

Your capacity to regulate emotions,�� says David Rock ��is absolutely essential to success in life.�� Managing our emotions is crucial because it allows us to use our brain more efficiently. When our limbic system, also known as the emotional brain, is overly aroused, it de-activates our prefrontal cortex which handles higher order thinking such as analysis, complex problem solving, organizing, and prioritizing. This means that experiencing strong negative emotions at work, for example, significantly diminishes our capacity for staying focused and our problem solving abilities.

All of which is very fine and good, but can knowing about your limbic system actually effect your emotions and therefore your performance? Yes, says the piece, and among other tips for those higher up the office food chain, offers advice that’s applicable to those just beginning their climb up the career ladder, including this tip on how to manage negative emotions.

Suppressing negative emotions, commonly known as keeping a stiff upper lip, doesn��t work as it doesn��t dampen the activity in the emotional brain. Expressing the negative emotions doesn��t work either as it is not always appropriate and can cause collateral damage to the relationship.

A better way is a strategy called ��cognitive reappraisal�� pioneered by James. J. Gross, editor of?. First, you briefly label the emotion — for example, ��I am getting angry.�� Then, immediately re-appraise your perception of the aversive situation in more positive terms in order to lessen its emotional punch. So, for example, instead of dwelling on: ��This is the second time he submits a report with errors in it,�� immediately reframe your thinking with: ��This is an opportunity for me to show leadership qualities and coach this person to improve and grow.�� It doesn��t matter whether this is an objective re-appraisal or not — re-appraising can profoundly affect the quality (which emotion) and the quantity (the intensity of the emotion) of the subsequent emotional response.

Intrigued? More insights from Rock are on offer in this Google Tech Talk.

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