Leaders should be able to remain calm even in situations which make most people nervous. If you want to improve in this area, we have good news for you. The ability to remain calm under pressure is not an innate character trait, but a skill you can learn relatively quickly. Geoffrey James, popular author of managerial advice on Inc.com, writes about this issue in his recent interesting article. He focuses on neuroscience findings that offer us some tips on how to proceed.
The biochemistry in the human brain works on a simple principle - calm versus "fight or flight". If we feel a threat or under attack, our physiological reactions start in the part of the brain called the amygdalae, guiding us to fight or flight. Stress hormones are secreted and the nervous system prepares for action. Our breathing speeds up, blood floods our muscles and we lose our composure. All this is quite normal in the business world. We either freeze, unable to react, or say something inappropriate when under too much stress. How can we outwit our body's reaction?
Name your emotions
Interrupt the reaction in your brain by focusing on your emotions. Name what you feel. It may be fear, worry, pressure, frustration, or concern. By focusing on naming your emotions you help the amygdalae calm down and avoid the situation that you have to choose between fight and flight. You retain more energy to think about the particular situation instead of your fear.
Slow down your breathing
After interrupting the stress reaction in your brain, focus on the reaction of your body. Concentrate on breathing slowly and deeply. Count to ten both when you inhale and exhale. That will help you get more oxygen into your body and blood circulation and show the brain that there is no need to prepare for fight or flight.
Rename your emotions
Go back to how you originally described your emotions and give them different, more positive names. Fear may, for example, be renamed as anticipation, frustration as desire, or pressure as opportunity to express your opinion. Your amygdalae will then interpret the situation as only a need to remain vigilant or even to remain completely calm.
This procedure requires some practice, but the time invested is worth it to make you a stronger leader.
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