Lawyer Monthly - December 2022

experience and hinder engagement and productivity. We then look at how you get the highest levels of performance from a team while mitigating burnout. This is done through leading with performance stress and not chronic stress. Leaders we work with receive a clear blueprint for adjusting their behaviours and setting up a team to reach and exceed KPIs. The blueprint covers how to master their emotions and the importance of strategic rest periods, self-care boundaries and how to build connection and trust. What makes for a great lawyer does not necessarily make for a great leader. For example, when a lawyer has had a long career of working with chronic stress and negative emotions, it can be easy to carry that style of working into a leadership position. Leadership and emotional agility are not taught at law school and are not always part of the professional development process. It is these two ‘soft skills’ that are becoming essential in law (especially with an ever-growing number of digital ways of working) and are the antidote to toxic behaviours. Can you explain a bit about emotional intelligence, agility, mastery and flexibility and what they have to offer a highly productive team? The days of being told ‘emotions stay at home’ are over. Emotions are always with us and, given how many hours most lawyers spend at work, it is unrealistic to say emotions are not fit for the workplace. Our emotions are not all bad; they can be constructive or toxic. For example, if anger is left unchecked or bottled up it can become a toxic emotion; however, when anger is channeled appropriately, it can be a highly motivating emotion. The first and most important step is becoming aware of these emotions. We EXPERT INSIGHT 59

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