I would like to drop a tiny seed towards more authenticity and emotional freedom. Even in this day when we talk about authenticity and emotional vulnerability as essential parts of leadership, individuals who lead large groups of people demonstrate (or feel they have to) varying degrees of acting ( acknowledging at this point that there are exceptions). By acting, in this context, I am referring to the emotional labour e.g. expressing excitement when one might be feeling gloomy inside, being constantly conscious of one's image/brand e.g. even in casual dress code workplaces, playing the trendy trainer game, and always saying the right things that people want to hear with a degree of certainty. Sometimes, sadly, this could also mean not acting in line with one's personal values (what matters to you in life).
Compare this to acting. Actors are trained in emotional labour. They emote for the needs of the situation while masking their own feelings. They "become" their character and draw us into their stories convincingly. We seldom think about what the actor is truly feeling inside when we watch the performance.
Is an individual's ability to perform/tolerate emotional labour an important skill/commitment needed for leadership roles?
And is the opposite true, do people who find it hard to put on a smile (say when they feel miserable or angry inside) shy away from senior roles to avoid the cost of emotional labour or are being excluded for not doing so?
If you are a leader overwhelmed with micro-emotional labour moments in your day, you are probably craving for people and space where you can be yourself. Building allies at work, expanding your network outside your work where your identity is not your title, reflective practices like meditation and coaching can provide a non-judgmental space to express and make sense of your unfiltered thoughts and feelings, and help you move towards your true values and goals. Let go of effort and enjoy living in the moment effortlessly more often.
