As a leader, awareness of self and others is the most critical factor there is.  This awareness translates into a knowledge and understanding of the different types of people personalities and the way they will typically interact with each other and within a team or group.

Just as there are different people personality types that you must acknowledge and adapt to, there are also differing dimensions of emotional behaviour that every leader must be aware of.  Human emotion (aka feelings) is your response to your thinking and mental patterns.  Your thoughts (mental patterns), in turn, predict your behaviour.  A leader’s emotional behaviour style can compel followers to either connect or engage, or to turn away.   

My good friend and mentor, Dr. Michael Frisina, in his book “Influential Leadership – Change Your behavior, Change Your Organization, Change Health Care” (page 73), talks about emotional awareness and recognizes that emotionally aware leaders can acknowledge their gut reactions and prevent possible emotional meltdown.  Emotionally aware leaders also are aware that negative responses are counterproductive to peak performance.  He goes on to say, 

“… our behavior style can stir up emotions in others. 

Behavioral style, or social/communication style, is the way we conduct ourselves in front of other people, particularly in the workplace.  Are you friendly and warm? Are you reserved? Are you assertive? Are you in full control? Your behavioral style (which is different from personality) either attracts or repels other people, and vice versa.  Sometimes we cannot articulate why we like or dislike someone’s behavior, because these types of preferences are unconscious. “

The more you understand your own and other people’s emotional behaviour, the more capable you are to use your skill of Positive Presence to create a positive emotional behaviour that will move you toward others to combine for a positive and energized synergy in the work environment around you.