Understanding Emotional Patterns and Triggers in Leadership Coaching: Insights for Transformational Growth
Dr. PRITESH LOHAR, MD FACP
In the high-stakes world of healthcare, leadership is about more than just decision-making. It’s about managing emotions—yours and those of your team. Emotional patterns and triggers play a critical role in how leaders respond to challenges, communicate under stress, and inspire their teams.
As Marshall Goldsmith teaches, understanding these emotional dynamics isn’t just a soft skill; it’s a leadership imperative. Let’s explore how identifying and managing emotional patterns and triggers can lead to transformational growth in your professional journey.
Emotional Patterns: Repeating Cycles of Leadership Behaviors
Emotional patterns are the automatic responses we develop over time. In leadership, these patterns often dictate how we handle pressure, conflict, and success. These ingrained responses shape how others perceive us and, ultimately, how we lead.
Take, for instance, a healthcare leader who consistently reacts with defensiveness when challenged. This pattern may have developed in response to early career experiences where authority was questioned. Over time, the leader may not even realize this knee-jerk defensiveness, yet it creates barriers to effective communication and trust-building.
Goldsmith’s insight: "What got you here won’t get you there." Often, the emotional patterns that helped you rise to your current level may prevent further progress. In my coaching practice, I help leaders recognize these limiting patterns and shift them into more adaptive responses.
Identifying Your Emotional Triggers
Emotional triggers are stimuli that provoke an intense emotional reaction, often out of proportion to the situation. These can be internal (self-imposed expectations) or external (a colleague’s criticism). Identifying triggers is a powerful first step toward emotional mastery.
For example, a healthcare administrator might feel triggered when decisions are questioned by subordinates. Instead of reacting with frustration, understanding the source of this emotional response—perhaps a need to feel in control or respected—opens the door to more constructive behavior.
To discover your triggers:
Self-Reflection: Take time to journal or reflect on moments when you felt an emotional surge. What exactly happened before you felt anger, frustration, or insecurity?
Feedback from Others: Ask trusted colleagues or mentors to share their observations of your behavior under stress. Often, others see patterns that we miss in ourselves.
Mindful Awareness: In the moment of being triggered, pause and notice what you’re feeling. Try not to react immediately; instead, observe the emotion.
The Impact of Emotional Triggers on Decision-Making
Leaders often underestimate how emotional triggers affect their decision-making process. A triggered response can lead to impulsive decisions or even analysis paralysis, clouding your judgment. Healthcare leaders, in particular, face high-pressure environments where emotional reactivity can lead to poor outcomes for both staff and patients.
Marshall Goldsmith’s perspective: Successful leaders learn to separate their emotional reactions from their decision-making process. One way to do this is by creating space between stimulus and response. In other words, when you feel triggered, take a moment before reacting. This pause can be the difference between a thoughtful response and an emotional outburst.
Coaching Leaders Through Emotional Mastery
As a coach, my role is to guide leaders through a process of self-discovery. Together, we identify their emotional patterns, triggers, and how these impact their leadership effectiveness. The aim is not to eliminate emotions but to manage them in a way that enhances leadership presence.
Here’s how we approach it:
Awareness: We start by helping leaders become aware of their emotional patterns and triggers through tools like emotional intelligence assessments, journaling exercises, and one-on-one reflection sessions.
Responsibility: Once aware, leaders are encouraged to take responsibility for their reactions. Marshall Goldsmith’s work emphasizes personal accountability—understanding that no one “makes” us react; we choose how to respond.
Behavioral Shifts: We work together to develop new strategies for managing emotions. This might involve practicing mindfulness, reframing negative thoughts, or using “feedforward” techniques (focusing on future behaviors rather than past mistakes).
Ongoing Reflection: Emotional mastery isn’t a one-time achievement. It requires ongoing self-reflection and adaptation. Leaders who regularly reflect on their emotional responses are better equipped to adjust their behavior in real-time, fostering healthier interactions with their teams.
Turning Triggers Into Leadership Strengths
Understanding your emotional triggers is not about suppressing emotions but about leveraging them. When leaders learn to manage their emotions effectively, they can turn potential triggers into strengths.
A surgeon who recognizes their anxiety before a complex procedure, for example, can channel that energy into meticulous preparation. A healthcare executive who feels frustration when a team member doesn’t meet expectations can use that emotion to initiate constructive feedback instead of a confrontation.
In short, emotional mastery transforms leaders from reactive managers to proactive visionaries.
Final Thoughts: The Goldsmith Touch
In leadership coaching, emotional patterns and triggers are often the hidden barriers to success. By recognizing and managing these dynamics, you empower yourself to lead with greater clarity, empathy, and effectiveness.
Remember, as Marshall Goldsmith so wisely says, “Leadership is a contact sport.” The more you engage with your emotions and those of others, the more profound your leadership impact will be. With self-awareness and intentional action, you can not only manage your emotional patterns and triggers but use them as powerful tools for leadership transformation.
Ready to take the next step in mastering your emotional patterns? Let’s connect for a personalized coaching session designed to help you unlock your full leadership potential.