How do you lead people in a situation where change is no longer an exception, but a constant part of everyday work? Emotional leadership becomes especially important in environments where uncertainty and continuous change challenge both leaders and teams. A leader from the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland shares how the Emergy® LEADER emotional skills training strengthened her leadership, deepened her understanding of emotions, and helped support her team in a demanding context.
Client: Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland
Training: Emergy® LEADER – Emotional skills training for working life
Objective: To support leaders in continuous change and strengthen capabilities in change leadership and resilience
A training that strengthened leadership, emotional leadership, and resilience
Krista Oinonen, Director of the Unit for Human Rights Courts and Conventions at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland, describes the past few years as exceptional. Change has not been a one-time project, but a permanent state.
“The pace of change has been faster now than at any point during my 26-year career at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs.”
Post-pandemic hybrid work, office changes, internal organizational shifts, and global uncertainty have all had a direct impact on people’s everyday work.
“Change has been constant. All of this is reflected directly in our daily work and in how people are coping.”
From skepticism to curiosity – emotional skills training opens new perspectives
When Oinonen began Emergy’s emotional skills training, she also felt a healthy level of skepticism. She had already participated in many leadership programs.
“At first, I was somewhat skeptical, but the new approach also sparked curiosity. It felt like an opportunity to take part in a training that would offer something genuinely new.”
“Emergy’s training opened up a completely new world for me – one that I hadn’t previously paused to explore in my everyday leadership.”
Emotional leadership in everyday work – space for connection and shared understanding
The group sessions in the training made visible a shared need to pause and connect.
“We realized that there is a real need to share our experiences and talk to each other. In everyday work, there aren’t enough moments where we can truly reflect together on how external events affect us.”
Making emotions visible helped people better understand both themselves and others, while also easing the overall burden.
“In the middle of constant change, it was meaningful to stop and reflect on what emotions all of this was creating in me and in our team. Sharing brought clarity and helped structure our thinking.”
A key insight: leading people also means leading emotions
“As long as I lead people, I also lead emotions.”
One of Oinonen’s most powerful insights changed how she viewed leadership.
“For a long time, I focused on results, results, results – getting things done. Through the training, I realized that I’m not actually leading results, but the people who create those results.”
“As long as I lead people, I also lead emotions. That was quite a realization.”
Emotional skills in practice – the power of pausing before reacting
The training provided practical tools for everyday leadership. Oinonen began working more consciously with her own emotions.
“I’ve started reflecting more on how things feel to me and how they influence my behavior.”
One important lesson was giving herself permission to pause before reacting.
“As a leader, I’ve been used to reacting immediately. Now I allow myself to say: ‘Let me think about this for a moment.’ It has brought a sense of calm into my workdays.”
Peer support strengthens resilience and leadership
Peer sparring became one of the most valuable elements of the training.
“I was paired with someone from another unit whom I didn’t know beforehand. We ended up forming a real connection and have become an important source of support for each other.”
“Through these conversations, we built trust and were able to discuss even difficult topics openly. This mutual encouragement and support have had a meaningful impact on both of our leadership journeys – and I believe it will carry far into the future.”
The courage to face difficult situations – at the core of emotional leadership
The training included practicing emotional openness and strengthening psychological safety.
“Sharing emotions requires courage, but when done well, it can be incredibly powerful and impactful.”
“I’ve gained more confidence to look people in the eye and address difficult issues early – before they start to build up.”
Bringing the learning into everyday leadership
One of the most impactful lessons was the importance of presence.
After the training, Oinonen – who travels frequently – has created new practices to ensure unhurried, face-to-face interactions with her team, which have also been well received.
She has also started applying tools such as the emotional mapping framework and psychological safety model in her leadership.
Emotional skills strengthen resilience and adaptability
According to Oinonen, emotional skills increase the “intelligence” of a workplace – the ability to understand oneself and others. At the same time, they strengthen resilience and the ability to navigate change.
“When you understand why you react in a certain way, change doesn’t feel as overwhelming. You can approach it more consciously and constructively.”
She sees the value of emotional skills training for the entire organization:
“For a long time, leadership has focused on results, and people have been left in the background. But we are all human – and we lead people as human beings.”
“It would be incredibly valuable if this kind of training reached the entire organization. We are all navigating change together.”
An experience that creates lasting impact
The training left a lasting impression on Oinonen.
“This is the best leadership training I have ever participated in. It was extremely high-quality and professionally delivered.”
“I gained new perspectives on leadership and tools that also support my personal life – insights I continue to return to and that help us navigate change more intelligently.”
Do you want to strengthen your leaders’ ability to connect, lead, and support people in demanding situations?
Learn more about the Emergy® LEADER training here!
Image: Merikasarmi from above | source: https://mediabank.finland.fi/l/bd6jQWH8LgQM/a/tQMbZ2P6XhMq
