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If you’re a leader at work, it’s imperative that you practice emotional regulation. Emotional regulation is simply the ability to control your emotional response to people, circumstances or expectations. We’ve all had leaders or seen leaders who lack this trait – and it quickly leads to a lack of trust from their team, uncertainty about how to communicate with them, and a general hesitation to be honest for fear of their boss’ response.

Maintaining a poker face doesn’t mean you need to be a robot – rather, you need to ensure that your emotional responses are measured and appropriate. This helps everyone on the team feel safe and at ease and also models the value of adaptability. A few ways you can practice emotional regulation:

  • Process and practice when you’re dealing with a sensitive issue. If you’ve been told that layoffs are imminent, don’t shoot off a quick text to your team about it. Instead, practice how you’ll communicate this in an even keeled way and think proactively about what your team can do to minimize the chance that layoffs occur on your team.

  • Take yourself out of the equation. Put aside your feelings about a situation impacts you in order to facilitate the uncovering of new information. If you’re stressed because your team missed a deadline and you’re afraid it will reflect poorly on you, then you’re likely to snap at your team or withdraw. Instead, get curious about why the mistake happened and how you can fool proof the process for next time.

  • Get external support. When you spend as much time as we do working, it’s normal to need a space to vent and unpack your workplace experience. This is why leadership coaching is so powerful – it offers you a private, confidential space to get clear on your own response to a situation, experience the emotional response in a setting without consequences and then strategize your next steps.


My name is Laura Weldy, and I’m a women’s leadership coach. I help women in the workplace become confident leaders by tackling their mindset head on so they can think like a leader before they have the job title. I do this through professional coaching, virtual coaching, small group masterminds and powerful courses. If you’re looking to become more successful and fulfilled at work, let’s talk! I’d love to help you build an action plan for success. Click here to apply for a free coaching consultation with me directly!