Emotions are not the enemy of good decisions.

Most leaders have been trained to keep emotions out of important decisions — to be rational, objective and analytical.

But good decision-making isn’t necessarily about choosing between emotion and reason.

It’s about learning to integrate both.

In this episode of The 3-Minute Leader, I guide you through a simple 30-second, three-step protocol to use when you’re about to react, make a hasty decision, or face an important choice.

Step 1 — Pause

Stop what you’re doing.

Create a small gap between the trigger and your response.

Step 2 — Feel

Take three slow breaths through your nose and bring your attention to your body.

Ask yourself:

What am I feeling right now?

Where in my body do I feel it?

Don’t analyze it.

Just locate and observe the sensation.

Step 3 — Decide

On your final exhale, ask:

What do I actually want to happen here?

What is the most important thing to me right now?

Then respond or decide from that place.

The work of neuroscientist Antonio Damasio helped demonstrate the importance of emotional signals in decision-making.

His concept of somatic markers describes how bodily and emotional signals can contribute to the choices we make.

For leaders, the objective isn’t to eliminate emotion.

It’s to learn to listen to it.

Stop.

Ground yourself.

Feel your body.

Then decide.

Where emotion meets reason.

THE 3-MINUTE LEADER

One tool a week. Under three minutes. Built for people who lead under pressure.

Watch the video series and subscribe on YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/@PositiveSolutions-fr/shorts

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https://www.positivesolutions.fr

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