Doing business in conditions of high uncertainty requires completely different skills from modern leaders than it was 10-20 years ago. Black swans fly in tirelessly, the world tries to streamline chaos and learn to function with these factors in mind, actively using frameworks and management practices such as Cynefin, Agile and others.
But one of the problems remains unresolved. The state of corporate leaders, startup founders, their mental health and “acclimatization” to modern conditions is what causes concern and makes us look for new approaches not only to business management, but also to adapt the psyche and form new skills.
The world is changing. The environment, corporations, people, and approaches are changing. Sometimes it is not only difficult for us to put everything we face in our heads, but also to understand how to react. By default, the correct reaction to external changes in work and life is adaptation. Today the ability to be emotionally flexible in high-speed mode is becoming not just an advantage, but a necessity.
What emotional flexibility is and why it matters
Emotional flexibility is a person’s ability to adapt to changing circumstances, maintain productivity in stressful situations, cope with negative emotions and remain open to new experiences. This skill is an essential component of personal and professional resilience, enabling individuals to deal effectively with life’s challenges and uncertainties.
Emotional flexibility is one component of emotional intelligence, which includes awareness and management of one’s emotions and those of others. According to the Passive secrets study, only 36% of people have a high level of emotional intelligence. At the same time, TalentSmartEQ believes that in the next 3-5 years, the demand for such skills will grow 6 times. This already means that it is critically important to work with this skill, to teach and develop it.
Reasons for the increase in demand for the skill
Globalization and technological progress have greatly changed the business environment, made it more dynamic and competitive. New times dictate new rules, and those, in turn, dictate the demand for new skills. In such conditions, soft skills become especially relevant, in particular emotional flexibility – high adaptability and the ability to make quick decisions is today must-have for employees.
Top 5 reasons why the skill of emotional flexibility in modern realities is in demand more than ever:
Time of uncertainty. The modern context (pandemic and February 2022) outlined the need for emotional flexibility for business: rapidly changing conditions and a high degree of uncertainty and turbulence require managers and employees to be able to adapt without losing emotional balance.
A recent Accenture study found that 66% of employees have experienced mental health issues and about 39% regularly think about suicide. These statistics suggest that developing emotional flexibility is vital. Working out such a skill makes it possible to soften the reaction to shocks of a different nature.
According to a joint study of the psychological platform Alter and hh.ru, 56% of employees admitted that they experienced more stress in 2023 than a year earlier. As the main cause of stress at work, 49% of employees named the management, 41% – the atmosphere in the team, and 37% – uncertainty about the future.
Increasing cross-cultural interaction. Globalization and diversity of teams require people to be able to communicate effectively and work with different cultures and worldviews. The ability to accept differences, as well as the right to differ from one’s opinion, helps to cut corners in both working and personal moments.
Increasing importance of teamwork. Modern companies rely increasingly on team effort, making emotional flexibility a key skill for building harmonious and productive teams. Our Center for Corporate Innovation and Product Development at IIDF Accelerator has 27 people. We approach scrupulously the choice of employees – it is important to select people with similar DNA for comfortable and well-coordinated work. At the same time, we understand that each person is a specialist with a certain experience and baggage, his own vision and format of work. This means that you need to find an individual approach to everyone, and this, in turn, requires emotional flexibility, because, as Jack London said: “Strong minds are never obedient.”
Leadership development. We have already written above that new times require new leaders with a certain set of qualities and competencies. Leaders with a high level of emotional flexibility are able to adapt faster to change, better cope with conflicts, motivate employees and build effective relationships in a team.
New leaders – who are they?
Leaders play a key role in shaping the atmosphere in their companies. Unfortunately, from our practice, we cannot say that all Russian companies realize that the lack of emotional intelligence among managers can have serious consequences and lead to a decrease in employee engagement and an increase in staff turnover. And this is an important link in the chain that directly affects business performance. Today, a leader is not just a person who is responsible for goals and their achievement, it is a human-centered leader who feels his employees and the general mood in the team and clearly knows how to make the atmosphere inside 10/10.
A good example of such a leader is Satya Nadella, Microsoft’s chief executive officer. Under his leadership, the company significantly changed its corporate culture, making it more inclusive, which prompted employees to share their ideas and emotions more actively. Nadella’s focus on empathy played a key role in changing the culture of Microsoft’s workspace and driving innovation.
Emotional flexibility helps to manage interpersonal relationships, which is critical for creating a comfortable atmosphere in the team, developing empathy and effective interaction. Of course, conflicts are inevitable, but how they are resolved largely determines the overall mood within the team.
Many people try to avoid conflicts, but it is important to resolve them in a timely manner. Studies show that each such conflict can cost the company about eight hours that employees spend on gossip, quarrels and other non-work activities, which negatively affects resources and morale.
In order for your team to remain motivated, it is necessary to learn how to conduct complex conversations properly, and to do this with respect and without gradation of employees by position, choosing their own conversation format for each. According to a survey by the Society for Human Resource Management, 72% of employees consider “treating everyone with respect, regardless of their position” a key factor in job satisfaction.
So, for example, the generation of zoomers puts job satisfaction at the forefront when choosing to leave or stay. Unlike previous generations, they actively discuss mental health and consider it an important part of overall well-being. Zoomers broadcast that working in a toxic environment can negatively affect the psyche, and therefore strive for conditions where emotional comfort is the norm. This generation expects employers to provide not just professional development, but also emotional flexibility and support. They have seen older generations face burnout and stress at work and don’t want to repeat their experiences, so emotional comfort for them is one of the key drivers of professional success and personal wellbeing.
How to maintain stability in crisis situations
The world is more emotionally prosperous in 2023, according to Gallup’s Global Emotions study. For the first time in a decade, the number of negative emotions has decreased. That’s good news. But there is also a bad one – we are still far from the level of ten years ago.
There are two focuses, their development will help make you more resistant to crisis situations – self-awareness and flexibility of thinking.
Self-awareness is a fundamental skill that allows a person to understand his internal states, emotions, and responses to external stimuli. Its development includes regular self-reflection. When a person is aware of his triggers, he can consciously, and therefore more effectively, manage emotions.
Self-awareness helps not to accumulate stress, allowing a person to notice and correct his condition in time. This is especially useful in critical and conflict situations, when it is important to maintain calm and clarity of thinking. People with a high level of self-awareness are able not only to manage their emotions better, but also to anticipate how their behavior can affect others, which makes them more sensitive and responsive in interpersonal and work relationships. Thinking flexibility is the ability to adapt to change and new experiences. This skill is especially important in conditions of uncertainty and turbulence, when familiar methods and strategies become ineffective.
Flexible thinking can be developed – this is good news. Such practices include a willingness to reconsider one’s beliefs, try new approaches and learn from mistakes. People who possess this quality are less stressed under uncertainty. Flexibility of thinking contributes to the development of creativity and innovative approach to solving problems, and also helps to avoid stagnation and routine, maintaining interest in work and a high level of motivation. As a result, people with flexible thinking not only cope with challenges more successfully, but also use change as an opportunity for growth and development.
How are emotional flexibility and personal productivity related?
A study by Waterford Inc. showed that companies led by people with a high level of emotional intelligence (which includes emotional flexibility), on average, have 50% less staff turnover, 56% higher customer loyalty and 38% higher productivity. They are also 27% more profitable.
Flexibility in the workplace has several important aspects. First, employers value highly employees who are able to adapt to changes in the work environment. Secondly, the more adaptive the employee, the higher his productivity. This is important because the ability to cope with changes saves time.
Flexibility also emphasizes the ability to be resourceful, demonstrate leadership skills, perseverance, analytical thinking and more – all of which are valuable qualities in the eyes of employers.
Checklist for developing emotional flexibility
Emotional flexibility is like a set of tools from emotions that you use depending on the situation. People are not born with emotional flexibility, they develop it throughout their lives. “Treat yourself tenderly” – how we want to treat ourselves, and emotional flexibility will help us in this, it is just important to introduce few points and make them our habit.
The author of the concept, Susan David, tells in the book “Emotional flexibility. How to learn to enjoy changes and enjoy work” about several stages of developing emotional flexibility in yourself.
The first stage is to turn your face to yourself. The ability to pay attention consciously to your inner experiences, emotions and sensations. This process requires honesty and openness towards oneself, a willingness to admit your feelings without judgment. It is important to ask questions: how do I feel now? Why do I feel it? What circumstances or events caused these emotions? Understanding your inner experiences helps you better understand your needs and aspirations, which in turn contributes to the development of emotional intelligence and personal growth.
The second stage is to distance yourself. Go beyond your experiences and look at the situation from a neutral, objective point of view. The process of distancing involves consciously separating one’s emotions from events, which eliminates impulsive reactions.
The third stage is to go your own way. Awareness and acceptance of personal values and goals. An important role here is played by the ability to listen to the inner voice and feel an emotional response to the decisions made. Being aware of one’s true values allows a person to make decisions that match their inner self and creates a sense of contentment and meaning in life. It requires constant work on yourself, honesty and courage to follow your beliefs.
The fourth stage is to move forward. This is an analysis of past experience, learning lessons and using them for personal growth. Recycling past restrictions allows a person to get rid of them and transform fears into a driving force. Moving forward involves commitment and determination, as well as adapting to new challenges and changes.
By Irina Tarasova, Director of the Center for Corporate Innovation and Product Development, IIDF Accelerator