Lately I have been dealing with hiding my personal emotions while in a professional setting. During a recent oral argument I found what the other side was saying so unprofessional, outrageous, and outlandish that I had to battle internally to keep my anger in check.

Hiding emotions in a professional setting can be incredibly challenging, especially when stress or the stakes involved run high. Our natural reactions not only come through in our words but can also seep through in tone, facial expressions, or body language, even when we try to stay composed. And, when you are standing in a courtroom, the judge is looking directly at you and your body language.

In the situation above, rather than feeding into my fury and rage, I literally asked the judge for a moment to collect myself, think, and gave a professional response to the other attorney’s drivel.

 Finding the balance between professionalism and authenticity is often difficult. How do you do it?