Emotion and Leadership

Emotion can have a profound affect on your attitude toward work, performance, and leadership development. The role of emotion is becoming increasingly important in how we understand organizational decision making; the view that emotion disrupts the process is now largely passé. Emotional management is also very important is negotiations as Coutu (2002) has observed. Leaders need to use emotion, as well as rational and intuitive processes, when making decisions and exercising positive influence on organizational performance. 

Furthermore, a leader should be able to use emotion when speaking to emphasize what he or she is saying. It is not an exaggeration to say that emotion is often the critical element that results in followers’ acceptance or rejection leaders’ messages. Emotional management is also very important is negotiations as Coutu (2002) has observed.

Finally, it is important that a leader not underestimate the importance of facilitating subordinates' emotional expression in ways that benefit both performance and interpersonal relationships in the workplace.