Management consultant Peter Bregman considers Rafael Nadal a true role model. Not because of his athleticism or skill, but because of the way he reacted after winning the most recent U.S. Open.
"When he laid down on the court, face down, sobbing — that's the moment he became my hero," says Bregman, who stopped by the FOX Business studios to explain. "There's a lot of emotion involved, and what it takes when you know that millions of people are watching you, to still be able to lie face down and sob, to me is an example for all of us."
As Bregman argues, human emotion is not something to ignore. In fact, he believes we should show more of that emotion at the workplace.
"Many people are often so resistant to showing emotion, to showing disappointment, to showing excitement, and I think that hurts us. I think that hurts us as human beings, and I think it also hurts us organizationally," he says.
Bregman goes on to explain that without the freedom of emotion, workers won't be as driven to celebrate "epic wins" in the workplace, which he describes as "jumping for joy" after taking a risk and watching it pay off.
But there's another side to that coin, and Bregman acknowledges it. "I think it's okay to be crushed," says Bregman, who even goes as far to say that it's okay to cry.
"To embrace those feelings opens up the possibility to perform, in my view, in a completely different way," he continues. "But when we restrain our feelings, then we restrain our performance. Because feeling emotion [and] expression is very much a part of what performance is about."
To hear more of Bregman's philosophy, watch the video above.
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