The Achievement Emotions: Your Path to Extraordinary Results
Hello this is Jayme Dill and welcome!
Today we're diving deeper into something I've been seeing consistently in my work with founders-turned-CEOs, particularly in the private equity world. It's given me an entirely new perspective on the power of specific emotions in creating extraordinary results.
The Challenge of "Unreasonable" Expectations
Let's talk about what I call creating "unreasonable" results in "unreasonable" circumstances. If you're in the private equity world, or really any high-growth environment, you know exactly what I mean. These are those moments when the targets seem impossible, the timeline feels compressed, and the resources... well, let's just say they're not unlimited. And the market or other external conditions do not seem supportive to your goals.
The Emotional Trap
When faced with these challenges, it's incredibly easy to fall into negative emotions. Sometimes, if we're really honest with ourselves, we might even slip into a bit of victimhood. Come on, raise your hand if you've ever had that moment of "This is impossible" or "They're asking too much." I know I have, and every leader I've worked with has been there too.
The Power of Drive and Commitment
But here's what I see the best leaders do differently - they tap into specific emotions that fuel success rather than drain it. We're talking about drive, determination and commitment, what psychologists call "achievement emotions." These aren't just nice words or concepts - they're actual emotional states that you can learn to access and harness.
What These Emotions Feel Like
When you're experiencing drive and commitment as emotions, it's a whole-body experience. You feel that sense of passion bubbling up, enthusiasm coursing through you, determination setting in like concrete in your gut. There's this laser focus that comes over you, and suddenly that "unreasonable" goal doesn't seem so unreasonable anymore.
Breaking Down the Key Components
Let's dive into what makes these emotions so powerful:
Inner Fire
This isn't just motivation - it's that burning sensation in your chest when you think about your goal. It's what gets you up early and keeps you going late. I had a CEO tell me recently, "Jayme, I can't explain it, but this project wakes me up at 3 AM with ideas." That's inner fire.
Resilience
This is the emotional muscle that helps you bounce back. It's not about never falling - it's about how quickly you get back up. One of my clients calls it their "emotional trampoline" - the harder they get knocked down, the higher they bounce back.
Positive Energy
This isn't toxic positivity or forced optimism. It's that genuine vigor that comes from believing in what you're doing. It's contagious, and it's what helps pull your team through the tough times.
Agency
This is that powerful feeling of being in the driver's seat of your own destiny. Even when circumstances are challenging, you maintain that sense of "I choose how I respond to this."
Alignment with Values
This is where it all comes together - when your goals align with your core values, it creates an emotional resonance that's almost impossible to defeat. It's not just what you're doing, it's why you're doing it.
Balancing Both Sides
As you may have noticed as I went through those, some are "up" high energy emotions and some are more "grounded" pragmatic emotions. In my experience, both personally and professionally, it is important to find a balance. Too much passion without resolve leads to over-optimism and lack of results. Too much determination and resolve without passion and enthusiasm can lead to dryness, having a hard time engaging others, and eventually burnout.
Finding Your Own Authentic Blend
What's been interesting to me as a coach is to see how these elements play out authentically in each person I have coached. We all have our special sauce blend. And while it's important to stretch ourselves to add, say, maybe a little fire or enthusiasm, it is equally important to find the blend of these emotions that works for you AND produces the drive that creates real results.
Putting It Into Practice
Here's what I want you to try: Next time you're faced with an "unreasonable" challenge, instead of defaulting to stress or frustration, consciously tap into these emotions. Ask yourself:
What aspects of this challenge light my inner fire?
How can I frame this as an opportunity to demonstrate resilience?
Where can I find the positive energy in this situation?
What choices do I have in how I approach this?
How does this align with what I truly believe in?
The Real Power Move
Remember, the goal isn't to suppress the challenging emotions. That's not realistic or helpful. The goal is to add these powerful, driving emotions to your emotional toolkit. It's about expanding your emotional range rather than restricting it.
When you learn to access and channel these emotions effectively, you'll find yourself creating those "unreasonable" results more often than you thought possible. And here's the best part - unlike the draining emotions of stress and frustration, drive and commitment actually energize you for the next challenge.
So next time someone tells you emotions don't belong in business, you can smile knowing that you're actually using the right emotions as your secret weapon for success.