Leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 3

Leadership - Essay Example A Panic or Choke Moment My panic or choke moment is from a job scenario. It happened during a meeting in my workplace where I was supposed to give a presentation regarding a new project that our company wanted to initiate. That day turned out to be the most provoking and infuriating of my life. Before that time, I had experienced something similar, but this incident was more pronounced and baffling. The meeting was to take at least one hour since I was the only one presenting the project. I wanted to give a perfect presentation so I had to prepare adequately since my first presentation within my department had inadequacies and pitfalls. I had clearly mastered the whole presentation in my mind, but to ensure a sophisticated presentation, I brought along my laptop and projector. The meeting commenced, my boss did the introduction and thereafter called me to take the centre stage. I took centre stage, got ready by setting up my laptop and projector. I was so motivated and enthusiastic s ince I was sure that I had everything under control. However, five minutes into the presentation, a power surge occurred, which tampered with my laptop. The laptop failed to work; I realized that I could not access my presentation from the laptop, suddenly my mine went blank. Although, I had all the information in my mind, without my laptop, I could do nothing. Contending with the Situation After that incident, I resolved to get help in order to avoid an embarrassment like that again. Choking or panicking can be resolved through different methods. When Novotna faltered during her Wimbledon match, it was because she started to think too much about her shots, and thus, losing her fluidity. In my situation, when the power surge occurred, it tampered with my laptop, which had my presentation. I had put all my focus in presenting with the help of my laptop and projector. All I had to do was to give the presentation from my mind instead of thinking that using the laptop was the only in wh ich I possibly present. If I had relied on my mind, I would have easily avoided the stress and presented the project. Forgetting the past is very important, especially forgetting unpleasant incidences. Novotna, remembering her choke at Wimbledon was again culpable at the French Open in 1995. Forgetting disappointments in the past can help to avoid those affecting current events. Finally, it is important not to think too hard. Failure develops when an individual focuses too much on mechanical and technical procedures when carrying out an activity. As in my case, I focused too much on delivering a sophisticated presentation with my laptop and projector. In addition, contending with situations that bring about stress call for experience. Essentially, it means thinking something through with the objective of anticipating what might go wrong. Understanding Stress Reactions Understanding how a person reacts to stress is vital in making that person an effective leader. Emotional intelligen ce refers to the ability to comprehend and manage one’s emotions and of those around them (Vidula et al, 2012: p10). Leaders or team members who have good emotional intelligence normally know their feelings, what it means, and the manner in which this can affect the rest of the team. For a leader, being aware of one’s emotions is vital for success. A leader, who shouts at