Should We Cry at Work?

Can you master your emotions all the time? 

Watching Dragon’s Den one day, Barbara Corcoran, one of the female dragons told a weeping female entrepreneur that she should only cry privately.  Corcoran hates when women cry in business situations because she sees them as powerless and lacks trust in their abilities.  You can read more about that here.

Well I disagree.  I think that being authentic and having authentic conversations taps into a part of ourselves that is very emotional.  Even passion shows as tearful emotion for some people, including myself. 

Corcoran speaks about standing out in a male-dominated industry, “I could usually manipulate a man much more easily than I could a woman because they’re more vulnerable to manipulation from a female,” she said. “They’re not expecting it.”  

I don’t’ think we really have to manipulate anyone when we are honest and authentic.  A coach once told me, “The world is yearning for honest emotion” and that gave me permission to be myself in the company of anyone, or any audience large or intimate.  In my experience, vulnerability is very attractive.  Honesty is more attractive than manipulation. 

Getting emotional isn’t a bad thing, but a healthy balance of emotional resiliency and strength along with allowing yourself to be vulnerable once in a while is a good recipe for human connection.  

Mastering our emotions is an inside job.  No one can do the work for us, but people will push our buttons to remind us that we need to continue to do our own inner work. 

Have a great week, and don’t be afraid to be vulnerable.  Remember, your greatest leadership day is with Penny Tremblay.

Listen to my Quick tip in this short video.