Emotions and the Business Leader

How we handle our emotions as business leaders and managers is a critical part of the structure in any organization. Indeed, a great deal of leadership is really about emotional management.

From the E-Myth perspective, the business is a reflection of the owner/leaders, so how we show up in the workplace is very much the model for our employees. Most employees learn which emotions to display by observing others in the workplace; and most eyes and ears are usually focused on the leaders.

How Emotions are Used

A 2002 study published in Management Communication Quarterly surveyed a broad range of employees and reported that many of them did not want their co-workers to display any type of strong emotion — negative or positive. This study demonstrated that the only way to manage negative emotions at work was for the employees to mask them. According to those surveyed, positive emotions also needed to be expressed in moderation. Indeed, this idea aligns with what is often described as professionalism.