Ready to discuss your emotional triggers?! These are the situations that can hijack even the most skilled leader's best intentions.
As a leader, recognizing your triggers isn't about avoiding emotions - it's about managing them so they don't manage you.
Engagement Message
Recall a recent workplace overreaction—what single trigger set you off?
Emotional triggers are situations, words, or behaviors that create an intense, often disproportionate reaction in you.
Common leadership triggers include: being questioned publicly, team members missing deadlines, or feeling like your authority is being challenged.
Engagement Message
Type the one that hits closest to home for you.
Your body gives you early warning signals before emotions take over. Maybe your jaw tightens, your voice gets sharper, or you start talking faster.
Learning to recognize these physical cues gives you precious seconds to choose your response instead of reacting automatically.
Engagement Message
Name one physical signal you feel when frustration rises.
Here's a real example: A department head always got defensive when anyone questioned his decisions in meetings.
His team learned to never challenge ideas publicly. Innovation died because people were afraid to speak up. He had no idea his trigger was stifling his team.
Engagement Message
List one way a leader's trigger could impact the team.
The STOP technique works in heated moments: Stop what you're doing, Take a breath, Observe what you're feeling, Proceed with intention.
This creates a pause between trigger and response. Even two seconds can transform how you handle a challenging situation.
Engagement Message
Which STOP step will be hardest for you to remember in the moment?
