To Get Angry or Not To

In organization behavior this past week, we discussed the evolution of the importance of emotional intelligence. For those needing a refresher, emotional intelligence is your ability to remain stable through different intensities of emotions. For many that can be a tough proposition. But believe me it is an invaluable part of being able to lead others no matter the work environment.


One of the toughest emotions for many to keep in control is anger. It is so easy to lash out when a project fails, goals are not met or not completing an assignment on time. The consensus is that anger should be kept in control at all times and that even a little slip of your internal hulk will have deep ramifications with your coworkers or subordinates.

Is this really true? Can I show just a little bit of anger and not explode work relationships? I believe you can. Being a former officer in the Army my anger manifested itself many times. Of course when your job is to operate in a combat environment one single mistake could cost someone their life. It is vital that Soldiers and leaders are focused on the mission at hand. And sometimes pulling someone aside and allowing your anger to leak out will have a more positive than negative effect. This is sometimes the only way a person will respond to correct their shortcomings.

But how do you use your anger to constructively build your subordinates? First, do not use expletives because they serve no purpose of expressing your point. By avoiding expletives you show that you’re not just another hot head. Second keep it short by pointing out the issue, problem or discrepancy that is the cause of repetitive failures. Eventually people will just tune you out. Make sure you pull individual or individuals aside away from the group as that will lower the impact of embarrassment.

The most vital step actually comes before you get angry. You must develop a relationship with each of your subordinates. You must show praise, respect and allow failures to occur early on. If you let your anger explode with each mistake, coworkers will shut down and tune you out. They will also avoid finding solutions to future problems. Many of them will simply do just enough work to get by. Also you better have plan of action to correct the problem. What good does it do to get angry if you can tell your subordinate how to fix their mistake? Many times you must repeat this plan over and over and conduct checkups for improvements.

Finally remember that you are using your anger as a last case scenario. If the subordinate cannot correct their problem then it is time to let them go and find someone new. For the most part anger should be put in the back of the closet and only brought for special occasions. If you can do this, I believe that you and effectively use anger as a developing device.