The economy has changed. And while we don’t know what the ultimate outcome will be, we do know that what’s happened is not reversible.

A great deal has been lost in this wave of upheaval, and new opportunities will emerge as a result. But before leaders are ready to identify and embark on new endeavors, it’s essential to acknowledge that this process has been emotional. There have been lost assets, lost programs, lost staffers … and lost dreams of what businesses or organizations would become.

I think it’s natural to want to shove down all the emotion and pain and thoughts of what’s transpired. But how will you ever have the mental wherewithal to energetically and optimistically move forward without addressing those lingering feelings?

It’s helpful to come in with coaching as soon after “chaotic change” as possible. Coaching can help that grieving process happen more quickly, with less angst. The coach’s presence serves as a permission system to have emotion because those feelings actually contain important information that will help guide you from here to what’s next. The coaching and facilitation work we do can help people harness the power of that emotional experience.  You know, the term “emotional intelligence” was created for a reason.  There’s a lot of smarts in those feelings.

Leaders tend to struggle through without processing their feelings for two distinct reasons:

(1)  A lot of leaders don’t even necessarily realize how heavy-duty some of this chaotic change has been emotionally because they’re so busy right now. But once the conversations begin, it’s clear they do need to spend some time grieving in order to effectively advance.

(2)  Some leaders are afraid of getting “stuck” in negativity and stall out completely. There’s a cultural fear that if we go at all into grieving, we’ll wallow in it and never be productive again. The beauty of this work is it’s actually the opposite of getting bogged down. When you consciously and intentionally spend just a little bit of time there, it can dramatically speed up the shift. It’s more dangerous to “not go there,” because unprocessed feelings can slow you down and impact productivity-and impact your team’s productivity, as well.

With some expert support, that emotional processing can bring a great deal of relief without being the least bit ugly or messy. At Leading Spirit, we have some great tools and workshops to help people process emotion in a mature, skillful, professional way. Some people process emotion quickly, and others need more time. In either case, working with leaders is incredibly exciting. Together we begin to look for new opportunities. And when leaders begin to pursue new possibilities, they start to feel fully in charge of their destiny again.