Navigate an Emotional Hijack

The phrase — amygdala hijack — was first coined by psychologist Daniel Goleman. It’s associated with the fight, flight, freeze response that served humans well for thousands of years. Now, with fewer external threats to life and limb, how does the brain’s natural response to stress impact behavior and decision making? Perhaps more importantly, how do you navigate this emotional response as a leader? Diane Musho Hamilton suggests there are four key steps when you’re triggered in her article Calming Your Brain During Conflict (Harvard Business Review, December 22, 2015).