There's good news about bad moods—contrary to what it may seem in the moment, they can actually facilitate more creative, out-of-the-box thinking than when we're sailing along on autopilot during happier times, according to researcher Susan David. This is just one of the tidbits that leaped off the page for me from her acclaimed #1 Wall Street Journal best selling book, Emotional Agility: Get Unstuck, Embrace Change, and Thrive in Work and Life (a close cousin to Pivot in content and launch date—they share the same book birthday!).

I had the great pleasure of talking with Susan to get the low down on the psychological skills that are critical to thriving in today’s world of complexity and change. Listen to this week's show to discover the difference between brooding and venting, what types of writing are most helpful for processing difficult emotions, and how to "unhook" when you're in the grip of overpowering feelings.

More About Susan David

Dr. Susan David is one of the world’s leading management thinkers and an award winning Harvard Medical School psychologist. Named on the Thinkers50 Radar list of people shaping the future of organizations and management, Susan is a sought-after keynote speaker and consultant. Her focus is on defining and executing effective people strategies, particularly in the areas of employee engagement, high-performance leadership, and organizational culture change. Susan is the CEO of Evidence Based Psychology, on the faculty at Harvard Medical School, a Cofounder of the Institute of Coaching (a Harvard Medical School/McLean affiliate), and on the Scientific Advisory Board of Arianna Huffington’s Thrive Global. Originally from South Africa, Susan lives outside of Boston with her family.

Topics We Cover

How to see emotions as data, without letting them dictate direction
Tougher emotions as sign posts to what we value
How to observe our thoughts, emotions and sensations
What it means to get hooked, and how to diffuse powerful overtaking emotions
Brooding vs. Venting
How writing can effectively label what is going on emotionally
Walking your why

Resources Mentioned

Susan David on the web, Twitter
Susan's Book: Emotional Agility: Get Unstuck, Embrace Change, and Thrive in Work and Life
Self-Assessments:
- What's Your Pivot Profile?
- Susan's Emotional Agility Quiz

Check out other episodes of the Pivot Podcast here. Be sure to subscribe wherever you listen, and if you enjoy the show I would be very grateful for a rating and/or review! Sign-up for my weekly(ish) #PivotList newsletter to receive curated round-ups of what I’m reading, watching, listening to, and new tools I’m geeking out on.

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