Emotional Intelligence: Your leadership superpower.

The Business Case   🧠 Emotional Hijack in action!

We’ve all been there, in this meeting that went sideways, because someone challenged you in front of others, didn’t listen to you, or cut you off…or because you perceived a message the wrong way—and before you realized it, you were reacting … in self-defense mode!

Even when you intended to stay positive and collaborative, you spoke sharper than you meant to, counterattacked, shut down, or over-explained to justify yourself.

Whatever the response, chances are it wasn’t the best course of action.

Not because you’re unprofessional, but because you’re human!

And for those of you with children, this might feel even more familiar…because our little ones (and even the not-so-little ones!) sure know how to push our buttons!

This is what Daniel Goleman calls an “emotional hijack”, or “amygdala hijack”—that moment when your brain detects a “threat” and your amygdala overrides your reasoning to “protect you”.

In those moments, emotions take the driver’s seat and block access to your rational, reflective self.

In global leadership, the stakes are even higher as languages, communication styles, cultural norms, virtual misalignment, or emotional fatigue can easily spark these tricky moments.

Developing your Emotional Intelligence (EQ) will help you recognize, understand, and manage your own and others’ emotions with clarity and intention, so you can increase your impact and reach your goals.

If you are looking to assess and elevate your leadership impact, I can help.

I’m certified in the EQ-i 2.0 & 360 assessments and use them as a powerful foundation to support your journey. Do not hesitate to contact me.

The tool  

The PRC principle– Pause, Reflect, Choose.

To help my clients shift out of automatic self-defense mode and reclaim their power to respond effectively, I guide them through the PRC principle that I learnt from Bobbie Sue Wolk (and still practice daily myself):

1. Pause - and do an Emotional Audit When you feel overwhelmed or emotionally hijacked, pause and ask yourself:

   • What am I feeling right now?

   • What am I thinking right now (that might have triggered those feelings)?

   • What happened (Stick to the facts -no judgment)?

   • What outcome do I truly want (Zoom out – what is the big-picture goal)?

   • How might I be getting in my own way?

     
     

2. Reflect As your current thoughts triggered your current feelings (and potential unhelpful reactions), try to generate at least 3 new thoughts that could apply to the situation.

   • Reframe your inner narrative: “What else could be true?”

   • Evaluate each thought: “Is it helpful right now?”

     
     

3. Choose Pick the thought that best serves your goal. The one that gets you closer to who you want to be and what you want to achieve.

   
   

This tool is a game-changer once you learn to master it.

It helps you shift from reactive to reflective, stay intentional, and grow your emotional intelligence.

The quote  

“Between stimulus and response, there is a space.

In that space is our power to choose our response."

— Viktor E. Frankl

No one is immune to emotional triggers, especially in fast-paced, high-stakes environments.

But emotional intelligence isn't about suppressing feelings—it’s about learning to recognize, understand, and manage them intentionally.

It’s in that space - between trigger and response - that emotional intelligence is built and that great leadership truly happens.

As Dolly Parton wisely said, “We cannot direct the wind, but we can adjust the sails”.