Human beings have emotions. We may not know exactly where emotions fit into the biological evolutionary scheme, but we do know that emotions influence our reaction to and perception of other people, events and situations. Emotional reactions are largely an unconscious process – we cannot leave them at home or pack them into a storeroom locker when we go into our workplace. Emotions can colour how we perceive situations to the extent that we are no longer aware of the reality of a situation but only our own emotional perception of it. Clearly, this can make clear communication and decision making difficult if everyone involved in a situation has their own emotional take on it. Since we cannot just get rid of unwanted emotions we have to learn how to be aware of them in our self and others to have clearer perception in our communication processes and not just fall into habitual patterns of emotional response.

Daniel Goleman, a leading proponent of Emotional Intelligence, emphasises that leaders have to pay attention to the hidden dimensions; people's emotions, the undercurrents of the emotional reality in the organisation, and the culture that holds it all together. Goleman states that self and other awareness, empathy and listening are all emotional intelligence constructs; all contribute to self-development training. Effective Leadership development begins with an holistic vision of one's life. To achieve improved business performance, leaders need to be emotionally engaged in their self-development.

The word 'emotion' tends to create a certain amount of resistance in the commercial arena: 'emotion' is a word usually associated solely with personal relations outside of the workplace, and things like 'emotions and feelings' should be controlled and subjugated in a working environment. But the life-blood of an organisation is it's people, and emotions and feelings are essential elements of human communication and relationship.

In examining emotions in the workplace, it is helpful to draw attention to the distinction between 'emotions' and 'feelings'. Dr. Paula Horan, developer of the Core Empowerment Training programme, provides a definition distinguishing emotions from feelings which is more meaningful in the work environment. Differentiating between feeling and emotions, Paula Horan states that "emotions are reactions which are completely stuck in the past to thoughts and judgements made in the past; emotions can never aptly mirror the present. Whereas, feelings are now." You intuitively know the difference between feelings and emotions, although, as Dr. Horan reminds us, at times the ego/mind's intellect may try and convince you that you don't.

Feelings of true self and content flourish and develop outwith the aid of "destructive" emotions: that true content is in knowing oneself and being in truth to oneself. Within the 'no-place-for-feelings-here' organisation this can prove to be not only difficult but can be politically suicidal if one dares to speak about one's feelings to the situation. Training in opening to our feelings could be a catalyst to opening dialogue in corporations. This would provide the organisation's people with a shared language that had current relevancy to the overall atmosphere of the organisation; in turn, this common dialogue would enable insight into the culture of that organisation.