Why Feelings Are Essential For Leadership

Last week, I began studying Digital Management at Hyper Island. The first couple of campus days were emotionally challenging, inspiring, and enlightening. Here’s my biggest takeaway so far.

My motivation changed quite drastically throughout the months before the course even began. When I applied, I worked as a project manager. So naturally, I hoped to learn more about tools that will help me in that area.

Then, I got the position as the leader of the newly founded community team. I hoped, the master’s degree will provide me with skills and frameworks to lead.

But when I spoke to several Swiss alumni, I realized that it would probably change me instead of just stitching some knowledge onto me.

And that’s what happened. The so-called Foundation Days at Hyper Island kickstarted something in me, that was sound asleep for a far too long time: an inner dialogue about my feelings and needs.

While reflecting on the experience made in Manchester, I also came to another realization: You can’t form relationships with positions–only people. You may have respect because higher positions have higher authority. But that doesn’t mean you’ll connect on a human level.

In this rapidly changing world of digitalization, we’re facing more and more complex tasks. Effective teamwork is essential. I can recommend the book “Creating effective teams” by Susan A. Wheelan. It’s a great guide to understanding how groups have different stages in their lifespan. Here’s an article that may help you either.

Relationships formed between group members as well as the leader are crucial to creating a trusting, open, and creative environment that drives innovation.

Leaders have to inspire the change towards a more emotional – in fact, human – culture. That means they have to take the first step into vulnerability as described by Brené Brown: