Managing emotions at work is a crucial skill for leaders. University supervisors provide feedback, lead teams, and resolve conflicts, making how you show up emotionally each day critically important. While bringing your emotions to work often reflects authenticity, unchecked emotions can create unnecessary stress. Emotionally intelligent leaders understand and effectively manage their own emotions and are attuned to the feelings of others, fostering a supportive environment.
Emotional Contagion: Setting the Tone
Research highlights the phenomenon of emotional contagion, where emotions spread quickly through a group. This is significant for leaders, whose moods and emotional states can impact their team’s morale and performance. Studies find that leaders who project positive emotions foster better teamwork. The Leadership Quarterly published findings showing that when leaders engaged with positive-mood followers, the entire team performed better. The opposite effect is also true – your team’s mood can influence your mood and performance.
Managing your emotions is not about suppressing them, but about ensuring they don’t negatively impact your team. Compare these two approaches:
- “I’m not sure how this project will go, I feel overwhelmed and lost. It’s tough to go through the discussions where people can’t agree of a common approach”
- “I recognize that I don’t have all of the answers and this project is facing some challenges. But I’m committed to continuing the conversations and together we’ll find the answers to those questions”
In the second instance, the leader practices authenticity by sharing and acknowledging some of the frustrations and concerns, but also shares a plan to address the causes of the emotions. This approach focuses on aspects one can control or influence, which is key to managing stress at work.
When Emotions are High
Conflict is inevitable in any workplace and can affect team dynamics. When a conflict catches you by surprise or you are angry with someone, pause and think about the situation before responding. This allows you to assess the situation more clearly, avoid escalating tensions, and respond in a constructive manner. Additionally, practicing reflective listening and non-reactive statements help calm tensions and refocus conversations on problem-solving. Instead of reacting out of frustration, try statements like “I notice that you missed the last meeting. Can you help me understand what happened?” This shifts the conversation toward finding a solution without escalating the conflict. See the Quick Guide to Managing Emotions for detailed steps and examples of non-reactive statements.
While bringing emotions to work is key to being authentic, leaders must strike a balance between openness and emotional regulation. Emotions significantly influence decision-making and can either enhance or hinder workplace dynamics. By cultivating emotional intelligence, leaders can ensure they are managing emotions productively, reducing stress, and creating a supportive, resilient work environment.
