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Mar 19 2014

Leader Know Thyself – Your Buttons

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Think about someone you don’t like. Why don’t you like them?

Now, consider someone who can really make you mad. What is it that they do that fires your temper?

As my psychology professor once said, we all have buttons. The question is, how do we manage those buttons. Do we wear them openly for everyone to see and push or do we keep them to ourselves and learn to manage them when someone accidentally pushes one?

It’s essential in the leadership role to know why you don’t like some people and what it is that will really get you spun up. When you know that, it will be easier to control who has access to those buttons and what happens if they push one, even if it’s only accidental.

Leaders must strive to stay on an even keel and so it’s essential to know what will cause you to lose your temper. Once you’ve identified those buttons, you’ll be better able to keep them concealed.

That’s not to say you won’t get upset from time to time. You will. But, when you know what is likely to make you upset, you’ll be much more likely to successfully control your reactions.