Jackie Barretta, Author, Primal Teams

Sometimes it pays to reveal your emotions. I remember the day my boss called me into his office and asked me to address an angry complaint from one of our largest customers. While he visibly kept his cool as he explained the customer’s concerns, I could tell that the customer’s phone call had deeply upset him. After a brief chat, I left his office to deal with the situation, casually saying, “I’m sorry you had to field such an upsetting call first thing in the morning.” He actually snapped at me. “I am not upset!” That reaction dropped my trust in him a few notches. If he couldn’t own up to his true feelings, what else might he be trying to hide?