Understanding Emotions

The Inner Climate We Pretend Isn’t There

In my years working with executives and senior managers, one truth keeps surfacing: we talk about strategy, performance, even culture — but we sidestep the emotional undercurrent as if it were irrelevant or indulgent. It's not. If anything, it’s the quiet force shaping everything.

“The wise learn to read the wind inside them, for it tells of coming storms and buried treasure alike.” The Book of Inner Arts, Vol. I

What Are Emotions, Really?

Imagine walking into a meeting room. Everyone is smiling, coffee cups steaming, laptops open — and yet, there’s a fog you can’t quite place. A tension in the air. This is the emotional climate — often invisible, rarely named, and yet profoundly shaping behaviour, morale, and decision-making. This is why understanding emotions is so important.

Psychologically speaking, emotions are how we respond to our environment. Anger sharpens focus. Sadness slows us down to process loss. Joy opens our social engagement systems. Emotions are not just reactions — they are information (Izard, 2010). Emotions are deeply embodied processes, meaning they form in the depths of our minds and felt throughout the nervous system (Damasio, 1994).

My Journey To Understanding Emotions

For me emotions started like everyone else, feeling them but have no idea what they are. It was when my relationship and family business collapsed that I started to become aware of them. My emotions were creating a living hell in my life and then I was unconsciously passing them down on to others.

With time I learnt that I was not a victim of emotions but their master. By training myself to choose what to think and emote, I could start shaping how I felt. If we consider emotions like a bank account, then I need to fill more deposits through gratitude, love of God and contribution to the world more than the withdrawals of stress, anxiety, negativity and doubt.

Why Emotional Climate Matters?

Emotions are so natural, that by the time we’ve named them, they’ve already done their work. And yet, in many management cultures, emotions are treated like distractions. At best, something to "manage." At worst, something to suppress. This is like ignoring the weather report because it's inconvenient — then blaming the rain for ruining your barbecue.

Now Consider this:

• Teams with leaders high in emotional intelligence perform better across engagement, productivity, and conflict resolution (Goleman, 1995; Boyatzis & McKee, 2005).

• Emotional suppression leads to burnout, absenteeism, and passive-aggressive behaviour (Gross & John, 2003).

• Emotional contagion — the unconscious transmission of affect — can either lift or sink morale depending on how emotions are recognised and metabolised (Barsade, 2002).

Put simply: you’re already working with emotions, whether you like it or not. The only question is whether you’re working with them well.

Practical Application: Reading Your Own Weather

Here’s a practical exercise I often use with managers:

Ask yourself daily:

1. What am I feeling right now?

2. How strong is it (0–10)?

3. Where do I feel it in my body?

4. What might this be telling me?

This is not therapy. It’s emotional literacy — the ability to read the signs before the storm hits. Just as pilots check weather conditions before a flight, emotionally mature leaders check their inner climate before taking big decisions.

Today, the modern manager faces a the inner world of teams, tension in boardrooms, the unspoken discontent of high performers. Leadership doesn't require a wand, it needs presence, curiosity, and the willingness to sit with discomfort. Ask yourself:

When was the last time you checked your inner forecast?What emotional climate are you generating in the world?