The Inspiration Code

CHAPTER 8

MOVING HEARTS BEFORE MINDS

“You’re very emotional.”

That doesn’t sound like a compliment, does it?

Emotion is generally the opposite of what we’re striving to show. In the workplace, and to a larger extent in life, we don’t feel free to express ourselves emotionally. There are plenty of cultural signals, organizational cues, and straightforward warnings that tell us we should guard against emotionality. Instead, as we discussed around authenticity, we typically strive for a well-practiced stoicism at work, keeping our emotions in constant check. Any lapse in our composure feels like a character flaw.

And yet, as we consider passion, it is inherently emotional. In fact, passion is an emotional state. The Oxford English Dictionary defines ...