Essay Example on Anger Derails Leadership: 5 Discoveries & Ways to Control It

Introduction

It is common for leaders to get angry daily. Nevertheless, they have to control their anger to maintain lasting relationships with their followers. The purpose of this paper is to discuss ways anger derails leadership efforts and the five discoveries as presented in the primal leadership text. Leaders have to control their anger and incorporate self-directed learning in their lives to determine their best leadership approach.

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How Anger Derails Leadership Efforts

Anger can derail leadership efforts by thwarting advancements among followers. According to Stoner and Stoner (2013), research by the Center for Creative Leadership found that leaders who often exhibit anger have a hard time dealing with their followers. Undoubtedly, anger among leaders affects the way they associate with their followers. Anger causes conflicts and tensions among leaders and their followers (Stoner & Stoner, 2013). The outbursts may interfere with daily leader-follower relations, which would eventually hinder the achievement of goals. Besides that, anger can derail leadership efforts by affecting empathy among followers. Goleman, Boyatzis, and Mckee (2013) asserted that in the coercive style, when leaders exhibit out-of-control outbursts, it results in a lack of empathy and creates emotional tone-deafness. The authors added that leaders who have out of control outbursts have to be angry with the right person, at the right time, and in the right way. The authors mentioned that leaders need to learn emotional self-control to control their anger. Increased anger among leaders results in reactive aggression, which thwarts leadership efforts regarding facilitating empathy among their followers.

Five Discoveries in the Primal Leadership Text

The five discoveries, developed by Richard Boyatzis, in the primal leadership text, involve self-directed learning. Goleman et al. (2013) affirmed that self-directed learning is the process of an individual strengthening an aspect of themselves, determine what they want to be or both. According to the authors, the examples of the five discoveries include the following:

• Ideal self - here the person needs to discover who they want to be. The authors stated that going through this first discovery helps a person to be motivated and develop their leadership abilities.
• Real self - here, an individual has to discover who they are and examine their strengths and weaknesses. The authors mentioned that the realization of the strengths and weaknesses prepares a person to change their leadership style.
• Learning agenda - here, a person has to determine ways to build their strengths and reduce their weaknesses. The authors asserted that this process feels satisfying and fits well with learning preferences as well as the realities of work and life.
• Experimenting and practicing - here, a person has to experiment with new behaviors, thoughts, and feelings. The authors asserted that this process ensures that an individual masters the new behaviors, thoughts, and feelings and incorporate them when associating with others.
• Developing supporting and trusting relationships - the authors mentioned that this fifth discovery should be used with the other four to ensure that change is made possible.

Conclusion

Leaders need to ensure that they avoid exhibiting anger to maintain good relationships with their followers. As research has established, leaders can avoid outbursts by being emotionally aware of themselves and the people around them. Anger is a weakness that should be eliminated in the leadership circle. Overall, individuals have to incorporate self-directed learning to determine their leadership capabilities.

References

Goleman, D., Boyatzis, R. E., & McKee, A. (2013). Primal Leadership: Unleashing the Power of Emotional Intelligence. Boston, MA: Harvard Business Press.

Stoner, C. R., & Stoner, J. S. (2013). Building Leaders: Paving the Path for Emerging Leaders. New York, NY: Routledge.