Find Calm in the Chaos:
5 Shifts to Emotional Agility
On April 13, 1970, Command Pilot Jack Swigert reported to Mission Control: “Houston, we have a problem.”
Those words stopped the world. An oxygen tank had ruptured. The crew of Apollo 13 was drifting further from safety, losing power, and running out of time.
But here is what strikes me about that moment: It wasn’t just an engineering crisis. It was an emotional one. And right now, many of you know exactly how that feels.
We are living through our own version of Apollo 13. Maybe you are navigating a reorganization. Maybe you are dealing with a team that is burned out, a client who is skittish, or a market that makes no sense. But the pressure doesn’t stop at the office door. We are also watching global supply chains realign overnight, reading headlines about conflict overseas that feel deeply personal, and wondering how the next election cycle or international policy shift will ripple through our industries.
The uncertainty is deafening. The stakes feel high.
So, what did Mission Control do? Led by Flight Director Gene Kranz, they didn’t panic. They didn’t freeze. They stayed emotionally agile. Engineers, pilots, and ground crews worked together to jury-rig a CO2 scrubber with duct tape and plastic bags, rerouted the power, and brought the crew home safely on April 17, 1970.
That is the leadership skill our world is crying out for right now.
While Emotional Intelligence (EI) is your ability to perceive and manage emotions, Emotional Agility is your ability to engage with them in real-time. It’s the skill of staying calm when the newsfeed is alarming, staying open when your team is resistant, and finding solutions when the old playbook is useless.
Here are the five essential shifts we need to make to lead through this modern era of uncertainty:
Leaders, we are in an era of permanent uncertainty. We can’t control the budget freezes, the reorgs, the unexpected departures, or the new initiatives coming down from the fourteenth floor. But we can control how we show up.
Here’s to thriving in these uncertain times!
–Steve
As a master storyteller, Steve has unparalleled ability to communicate dynamic business and leadership truths through stories, anecdotes and humor. Harness the power of the “number one” predictor of professional success, impact, leadership, high performance and sustainable relationships in business and life. Steve’s highest rated keynote presentation.
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“The purpose of Leadership Quest is to help professionals develop their personal leadership, vision and emotional intelligence. Everyday I strive to help leaders and teams achieve their desired goals in sales productivity, leadership, time maximization, and life-balance. ”
About the Author
Steve Gutzler is the President of Leadership Quest, a premier leadership development company based in Scottsdale. As a dynamic and highly sought-after speaker, Steve has delivered over 2,500 impactful presentations to renowned organizations such as Microsoft, Starbucks, the Seattle Seahawks, Spotify, Boeing, Cisco, Starwood Hotels, Ritz-Carlton, and the U.S. Department of Commerce.
A published author and thought leader on leadership and emotional intelligence, Steve lives near Scottsdale with his wife, Julie. Together, they cherish time spent with their three adult children and six grandchildren.
