A641.4.3.RB - Tipping Points of Emotional Intelligence_Psimer_Andrea

 A641.4.3.RB - Tipping Points of Emotional Intelligence_Psimer_Andrea

“Good is the enemy of great” ~Jim Collins

What was the situation?

My primary instance of experiencing a tipping point at work was in 2023 when I was in a high state of burnout.  I was the Commanding Officer of Military Personnel with a significant amount of responsibility and authority.  I have described many emotional effects of leadership from this tour throughout the three modules.  I describe the tipping point as a cumulation of stress, burnout, feeling unsatisfied, among other emotionally intense sensations. 

What did you do?

The tipping point resulted in me requesting to leave the Coast Guard for up to three years.  I requested to leave as a protective measure for myself to hopefully find happiness and peace again.  In deciding if I would request to leave, I researched graduate schools for myself, elementary schools for my son.  I considered for us to move-in with my son’s dad, so I could get a break from the organization. I took logical and reasonable steps, including telling all of my friends [building a strong support network], met with financial advisors and having fail safe back up plans.  I had a cash account with a significant amount of money to sustain my son and I, as well as I chose to serve in the USCG Reserves so we would have access to some military benefits.

What was the result?

I was approved to leave the Coast Guard.  Although ironically, I changed my mind so I could use tuition assistance and pay for graduate school which obligates service : )

What would you do differently?

The number one thing I would have done differently is not let the job or stressors drive such a big decision. I felt like I had no other choice as the stress was so high.  I felt like I surrounded myself with a wide variety of people with different perspectives so I was not seeking the same answer from everyone. 

According to Boyatzis et al. (2015), when people create a personal vision, there is a “critical role” between the Positive Emotional Attractor and Negative Emotional Attractor.  Boyatzis et al. (2015) theorize PEA and NEA are necessary for any type of change, yet a greater dose of PEA is required for sustained change.  

This is an interesting statement, as it has me thinking if my decision to request to leave the USCG was reactionary and drawn more from NEA, than it was easy for me to not follow through and remain motivated to leave. Positive Emotional Attractors are the driving forces for change.  I allowed NEAs to have a high value in my decision making, which affected my personal vision moving forward.

As Boyatzis (2003) states, emotional intelligence involves skills and competencies which people use to understand and manage their emotions and relationships with others.  In my case, my emotional intelligence was probably overwhelmed dealing with so much.  And I think in my particular situation there were several PEA and NEAs to consider for many overlapping decisions.

In retrospect, I am not sure I could have anything drastically different.  I committed a significant amount of time and resources to feeling like I was making the right decisions.  In pursing my M.S. Leadership class, I am now aware of new strategies to lead myself and others.  Emotional intelligence is without a doubt a huge take away for me moving forward when faced with a tipping point.  The awareness aspect is so critical, not only for myself but also in recognizing the tipping point in other people so I can help as necessary.  

Reference:

Boyatzis, R. (2003). Using tipping points of emotional intelligence and cognitive competencies to predict financial performance of leaders. Psicothema, Vol 18 (Suplem.1), 124-131. https://www.psicothema.com/pi?pii=3287

Boyatzis, R. E., Rochford, K., & Taylor, S. N. (2015). The role of the positive emotional attractor in vision and shared vision: toward effective leadership, relationships, and engagement. Frontiers in psychology, 6, 670. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00670


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