Lead From the Top of the Mood Elevator - Conversation Starter - HarvardBusiness.org
Harvard Publishing >Conversation Starter
From the Top of the Mood Elevator >
9:47 AM Tuesday November 3, 2009
by Larry Senn >
(Note from Jim: Also see senn delaney's short slide show about the "Mood Elevator" - Link below)
I walked into the office of a CEO of a prominent energy company for a first-time meeting and could see that he was visibly upset. Finally, I said, "You are looking a little down. Is there something troubling you?" For the next several minutes, I listened to him describe a litany of woes. The company was embattled. Negative press, plummeting stock and mounting consumer dissatisfaction were just sucking the juice out of the place. >
The CEO had all but emotionally thrown in the towel. I handed him this little pocket card I always carry that has a graphic that we at Senn Delaney call "The Mood Elevator." He studied it for a few moments. The higher mood levels included adjectives like resourceful, inspired, energetic and curious. The lower levels include emotions like worried, irritated, victimized and low. The latter are not good states of mind to be in as a leader of a beleaguered company. If the top leader is not thinking and performing at his or her best, how can the rest of the company be expected to? >
When this CEO looked at the higher mood states on the Mood Elevator that correlate with being at our best, he said, quite simply: "I need to be there. My company needs to be there. How can we get there?" >
Most of us ride the mood elevator hour to hour and day to day. We stay up most of the time but are not even aware when we temporarily drop down to irritated and bothered, excessively judgmental or into an unhealthy impatience. Whenever we do, our thinking is less reliable and we do and say things we wouldn't in a higher mood state. We actually lose points of both IQ and EQ (emotional intelligence) when we do. >
Why does mood matter in our personal and business lives? Your thinking determines your moods, creates your own reality and drives your behaviors. The results you achieve are the outcome of your behaviors. A wide range of studies support this. One especially helpful paper is "Why Does Affect Matter in Organizations?" published in the Academy of Management Perspectives earlier this year. >
Authors Sigal Barsade, a Wharton management professor who studies the influence of affect or emotions on the workplace, and Donald Gibson of Fairfield University's Dolan School of Business, examined how employees' moods and overall dispositions have an impact on job performance, decision-making, creativity, teamwork and leadership. Leaders' displays of emotions, they noted, influence followers through emotional contagion: "Positive, upbeat emotions of the leader are emulated by followers, resulting in positive outcomes." >
And yes, the beleaguered CEO I met with did move up the Mood Elevator. He and his senior team and then much of the organization got similar insights along our journey to change the culture. They focused their energy on being more accountable, collaborative and customer focused, and it did make a difference. >
Here are five pointers I have seen work — as have many of my clients: >
1. Become aware of your state of mind and use your feelings as your guide to the quality of your thinking. Make a conscious effort to notice where you are on the Mood Elevator. Use your feelings as indicators of the quality of your thought. Don't let unhealthy thoughts become so normal you don't notice them. >
2. Take better care of yourself. Our physical state plays a role in our thinking. When we get tired and worn down we are more vulnerable to lower-quality thinking and lower moods. >
3. Know your thoughts are unreliable when your mood drops. Our thoughts are often unreliable when we are in a lower state of mind. If possible, delay making major decisions until you move a few floors up the elevator. If you can't wait, try to respond as you would if you were driving on an icy road: use caution and do not overreact. >
4. Maintain your perspective through gratitude and a sense of humor. Taking the time to think each day of some things you can be grateful for is a powerful mood tonic. When you have perspective, you can see your momentary problem, challenge or issue in the context of all that you have going for you in life. Humor and lightness help you handle your serious challenges in a better, wiser state of mind. >
5. Be aware of your leadership shadow. One reason to be aware of where you are on the Mood Elevator is that moods are contagious. The central finding of my doctoral dissertation on organizational culture published over 30 years ago was that an organization's culture and climate is most greatly influenced by the shadow of their leaders. The biggest shadow we bring to work each day is our state of mind or mood. It is also the biggest one we carry home at night. That should be food for thought for all of us. >
Larry Senn is the founder of Senn Delaney, a leading authority and practitioner in the field of culture shaping. Larry has led culture-shaping engagements for the leaders of dozens of organizations including Fortune 500 companies, state governors, members of a U.S. President's Cabinet, Presidents of major Universities and deans of Business Schools. Larry has authored or co-authored several books, thought papers, articles and publications. His latest book is the forthcoming Up the Mood Elevator - Living Life at Your Best. >
senn delaney mood elevator: Short slide presentation: http://www.sdlconnect2.com/SDWeb/content/0/0/SDL_RoT.swf
The Senn-Delaney Leadership Consulting Group's "The Mood Elevator: (our different moods)
- Creative
- Wise
- Optimistic
- Appreciative
- Understanding
- Curious
- Frustrated
- Irritated
- Anxious
- Defensive
- Judgemental
- Depressed
Access original post: http://blogs.harvardbusiness.org/cs/2009/11/lead_from_the_top_of_the_mood.html
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http://dreamlearndobecome.blogspot.com This posting was made my Jim Jacobs, President & CEO of Jacobs Executive Advisors. Jim also serves as Leader of Jacobs Advisors' Insurance Practice.
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