The Leader in You
The Leader in You podcast is brought to you by EmC Leaders, helping companies to master the art of relationships so they can spend less time on people issues and more time accomplishing their most important goals.
We combine the science of attachment and emotional connection with insight from the last 20 years to overcome workplace conflict issues, build strong team relationships, and create a connected culture.
Your hosts, Dr. Lola Gershfeld and Polina Marian.
The Leader in You
71. Keeping Your Focus
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In this episode of The Leader in You, Dr. Lola Gershfeld and her daughter and co-host, Polina Marian, explore one of the most universal leadership challenges: how to keep your focus during stressful situations.
We often believe that staying focused means staying on the problem—the facts, the content, the mistakes, the timeline. But as Lola and Polina explain using the Emotional Connection (EmC) framework, true focus comes from shifting your attention away from the content and toward the underlying emotional experience—yours and the other person’s.
Through a compelling real-life example from a global organization, Lola illustrates how a leader transformed a tense, disconnected moment into a breakthrough of understanding, empathy, and reconnection—not by fixing the problem, but by slowing down and focusing on raw spots, triggers, and emotions.
You’ll learn:
- Why stressful conversations knock us off balance
- How focusing on content keeps teams stuck
- How to quickly shift your focus to what actually matters
- The specific questions that help people express vulnerability
- The role of co-regulation and co-creation in emotionally safe teams
- How staying focused on emotional experience resolves problems more effectively—and prevents them from repeating
If you’ve ever found yourself reacting, shutting down, defending, or trying to fix things too quickly, this episode will give you a simple, powerful roadmap for staying grounded and creating connection—even in the hardest moments.
Watch or listen to the full episode to learn how emotional focus can transform your conversations, your leadership, and your team culture.
The Leader in You is the go-to podcast for anyone who wants to create a workplace culture where you can thrive.
Envision a future where you are more grounded, confident, and in sync with your team.
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Connect with Dr. Lola Gershfeld:
LinkedIn: Dr. Lola Gershfeld
Instagram: @drlolaemc
Connect with Polina Marian:
LinkedIn: Polina Marian
Instagram: @livewithfivekids
Dr. Lola Gershfeld, a distinguished organizational psychologist, has dedicated her career to delving into the intricate layers of employee engagement, team ...