Oops! I shouldn’t have said that! Come on, admit it, you have said something inappropriate at one time or another and regretted it five minutes later. These outbursts are frequently caused by what is called an “emotional hijack”. It is kind of like a car-jack – except it’s your brain not your Volvo that gets taken over by unwanted intruders.

In this case the unwanted intruder is an emotional short circuit in your brain which temporarily obliterates your rational thinking – and this sorry state is made worse by stress. So beware: under tight deadlines and undue pressure watch out for emotional pirates waiting to take over your rational thinking.

The ability to avoid, or at least to manage emotional hijacks is called “emotional intelligence” — now recognized as a key set of skills that can make or break someone in a leadership role.

So here is a four step antidote to emotional hijacks and managing them in others:

1. Recognize your emotional triggers
2. Manage your emotional triggers
3. Recognize emotions in others
4. Apply the social skills needed to manage emotions in others

Thankfully emotional intelligence skills can be learned – even in adulthood. Here is the tip – read the book “Emotional Intelligence at Work” by Daniel Goleman and then decide if you would benefit from attending a short course on emotional intelligence skills. Most people in a leadership role will find it beneficial! Think of it as anti-intruder training for your brain!

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