Decision making: Reason vs. Emotion

The balance between reason and emotion is fundamental to making a coherent decision. The duel between these two elements is present in your life, whether personal or professional.

Emotions and affections are part of human existence. They contribute to the process of maintaining the survival of the species, influence historical construction, learning and social adjustment, and also participate in the expression of subjectivity and individuality.

Emotion makes us act on impulse, thinking only of well-being, pleasure and immediate joy. It's responsible for making us laugh, cry, smile... It's something that arouses us without us using logic, common sense or rationality.

On the other hand, we have reason. When we act with reason, we see the strategy as a whole, the consequences and the results of that decision. Reason can be considered our brake and often our accelerator.

What is your case? Are you more reason or more emotion? How many times have you experienced this conflict at work or in your personal life? How many times have you lost sleep because you had to choose under the simultaneous influence of these two elements?

Many managers can have difficulties at decisive moments, when their professional side has become too involved with their personal profile.

In moments of decision, you can't let emotion speak louder, otherwise you run the risk of damaging the company, and also the professional involved in the decision.

When we make choices, especially in the organisational environment, we have to balance emotion with reason. It's essential to know how to separate the personal from the professional and not let our feelings influence our decisions.

When making a decision as a leader, think about the future of the organisation. Decisions need to be made with balance. At that moment, you need to organise your thoughts and control your feelings in order to make the right decision for the company.

Always balance yourself. Use your emotional intelligence to leverage your business even more, always aiming for the human side of the organisation, but focusing in such a way that reason is your main source when making decisions.