Like it or not, emotions exist in every workplace and they impact on people's performance. Because this impact can sometimes be detrimental, a belief in relegating emotions behind the rule of logic and reason is deeply engrained in modern managers' psyche. In truth, this belief goes all the way back to the teachings of Plato, who saw logic as the path to objective truth, while emotions were simply irrational temptations to be avoided. This belief was entrenched in the principles of scientific management developed by Frederick Taylor in the early 20th century, and continues to permeate modern society.
Such a mechanistic view is naive because it treats people as purely rational beings and ignores the very real role emotions play in shaping a person's behaviour. If you have ever thought to yourself that work would be easy if it wasn't for people, then you understand firsthand how irrational people can be. Whether we like it or not, emotions are incredibly powerful forces that impact on how people think, act and perform. The very word emotion comes from the Latin word motere, which means 'to move', and as Ralph Waldo Emerson said, nothing great is ever achieved without enthusiasm.
A leader's impact is not so much the result of what they do, but rather how they make those around them feel. People are motivated to give their all at work when they feel competent, challenged, valued, successful, a sense of meaningfulness and/or in control. Emotionally savvy executives deal out such feelings.
Yet, do negative emotions such as fear and anger have a place in the workplace. Surprisingly, the answer is yes. Such emotions can be unhelpful when they are not warranted, and dangerous when used to justify abusive behaviour, they can also play constructive roles in the workplace.
Without at least some degree of apprehension, innovative ideas become foolhardy risks as people fail to see and plan for inherent dangers in their plans.
Anger motivates assertive behaviour, without which people avoid resolving issues or just go with the flow resulting in 'groupthink' and 'toxic niceness'
We are not advocating that managers give up using logic and reason, but rather that they see how emotions logically impact on workplace behaviour and that they are important within the workplace.
“The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honours the servant and has forgotten the gift.”
Albert Einstein