In every customer-facing industry, emotions run high. Expectations are elevated, timelines are tight, and customers often arrive already carrying stress. That pressure transfers, and it lands on your team.
When an employee walks into your office after a tough interaction, they’re not looking for a motivational quote. They want to be heard. In those moments, your response can deepen trust or quietly erode it.
Here’s where even strong leaders’ misstep: they rush to positivity.
While well-intended, positivity without acknowledgment feels dismissive. When people feel dismissed, they don’t reset, they retreat. Emotional charge doesn’t dissolve because we ignore it. It dissipates when it’s acknowledged.
That’s why I teach a leadership strategy rooted in the Energetic Principle of Detachment.
It lives inside a simple three-step reset:
Empathize → Release → Shift
- Empathize
Acknowledge the emotion without changing it.
“Wow, that sounds frustrating. I understand why you’re upset.” - Release
Create space for them to vent and clear the emotional static, without judgment. - Shift
Only after empathy and release, gently guide forward.
“How can I support you right now?”
Most leaders jump straight to “shift.” Without the first two steps, it doesn’t land and can create resentment.
From Rant to Rave: An Exercise in Collaboration
I recently facilitated a “Rant vs. Rave” exercise at Fontainebleau Las Vegas. Each team member shared one thing that energized them and one thing that drained them. In minutes, teams gained clarity on what lights each other up, and what shuts each other down.
The result? Smarter delegation, stronger support, and less friction in high-pressure moments.
Action: Ask your team:
- What energizes you at work?
- What drains you?
Then collaborate accordingly.
Working with people is emotional work. When you empathize, release, and shift, you turn emotional friction into trust, resilience, and stronger performance.
Thank you, Rebecca, for your guest blog about your energy strategies for teams.
