Your team is demotivated by a leader's emotional outbursts. How can you rebuild morale and productivity?

In my opinion, it's not possible to coach someone who is not in the room. In this instance, the leader needs coaching for their outburst, not the employee. However, the employee should be able to convey the impact of this bad experience to the leader. I would certainly focus on helping them frame that as a start.

Emotional outbursts are inherently tied to past experiences. Yes, conversations with the leader need to happen, but not just about their impact. Chances are they know their impact. It's possible that in the past emotional outbursts got them what they wanted, e.g. compliance, agreement, action, etc., and they need some new tools. Could be they've got life happening outside of work and it's impairing their ability to emotionally regulate. It's possible that an intervention with the team will be needed -- but maybe it is as simple as an apology and a plan for how to do better.

From my book, The Individual Team: How Fairness Wrecked the Workplace... "Whether good or bad, leadership is responsible for the morale of an organization." So, if the leader is the one with constant emotional outburst, it will never get better. You can't shine a turd, you can't fix stupid. Any self-respecting employee would look for other opportunities.

Imagine your team has been struggling with the leader’s sudden emotional reactions during high-pressure meetings. You might gather the team for an open discussion where you acknowledge the problem and express empathy for how it has affected their work environment. By addressing the issue directly, you validate their feelings and demonstrate that their well-being is a priority. Key Insight: Acknowledging the impact not only helps in healing but also sets the stage for rebuilding trust and fostering a more supportive work environment.

It is important to first understand whether the leader is also going to be coached about their behaviour, and are they still going to be in the same role, in which case they could still potentially cause issues for the team. Once the full scenario is clear, a decision can be made on whether the leader can be coached alongside the affected team members or apart from them. It may be best to hold some private sessions with each team member as they may have deep personal concerns as a result of the behaviour of the leader that they don't want to share within a group.

In a one-on-one meeting with the leader, you could discuss how their behavior is affecting the team and set clear guidelines for maintaining professionalism, even in stressful situations. This might include strategies for the leader to manage their emotions, such as taking a moment before reacting or seeking support when feeling overwhelmed. Key Insight: Setting boundaries not only helps prevent future emotional outbursts but also provides the team with a sense of security, knowing that there are clear expectations for respectful and constructive interactions.

It is a good idea to allow the leader to come up with ideas for what those boundaries should be, in order for them to have full buy-in on the new structures. However there are techniques around emotional self-regulation that can be shared such as helping them to slow down the heart rate through box breathing, and distraction techniques such as counting backwards or tapping their risk whenever they feel a sense of emotional flooding which may precede an outburst.

You may arrange for the leader to participate in emotional intelligence training or work with an executive coach to develop better coping mechanisms. Simultaneously, you could organize team-building activities or regular check-ins to foster open communication and rebuild the team’s trust in their leader. Key Insight: Providing support shows that you are committed to the well-being of both the leader and the team, helping to restore a positive work environment where everyone feels valued and motivated.

It is important to show understanding and empathy by honouring the feelings of each team member but also showing them how they can manage their emotions if they are at risk of being engulfed by them. If the company has access to an EAP, it is important that the contact details of this are communicated and that any safeguarding issues are taken seriously. It may on occasion be justifiable to breach client confidentiality and report any serious concerns if you believe the leader is at risk of causing physical or mental harm to anyone in the team.

Emotional regulation is a non negotiable Leadership trait. A leader can't compensate the lack or absence of self management with high performance or exceptional achievement. They can't even mask the compromised EI with sporadic empathetic and compassionate presence. Seeking support and coaching to address the anger management would be the foundation of any career journey for this leader. If they are unable to regulate their own emotions, how would they understand the team's emotions?

I find the Johari window an effective tool in raising the self awareness of the leader and also the people affected by then, By using careful questioning and also using role play, you can raise each person's self-awareness and make the 'open' segment of the quadrant bigger by delving more into the hidden and unknown areas and trying to uncover the blind spot -for example I've had a situation where a leader believed they were being clear and direct and they had no idea that their team perceived them as rude and unreasonable. This was a huge blind spot, but by using the perceptual positioning role play technique in a one-to-one session, I helped the leader to take on board an alternative perspective on their behaviour.

Para reconstruir o moral e a produtividade de uma equipe desmotivada por explos?es emocionais de um líder, é essencial estabelecer um ambiente de comunica??o aberta e respeitosa. Primeiramente, reconhe?a o impacto negativo que tais comportamentos têm sobre a equipe e promova uma cultura de feedback construtivo. Incentive a lideran?a a participar de treinamentos em inteligência emocional e gest?o de conflitos. Além disso, reforce o reconhecimento das contribui??es individuais e coletivas, e estabele?a metas claras e alcan?áveis para realinhar a equipe com os objetivos da organiza??o. Essas a??es podem ajudar a restaurar a confian?a e o comprometimento dos membros da equipe.

Picture this: a team disheartened by a leader's emotional outbursts. I worked with such a team, guiding them through a recovery process. First, we acknowledged the impact of these outbursts. Establishing clear behavioral boundaries was vital. We then re-centered on shared goals, redefining objectives, clarifying roles, and setting achievable targets. To ensure lasting change, we implemented a peer support system, allowing team members to offer and receive help, fostering trust and resilience. This holistic approach not only revived morale but also enhanced productivity. As a leader addressing issues directly and building supportive structures is key to lasting success.

How can team members not be the prey of stress when their leader fails to self manage? The leader isn't meant to be a super hero and be totally immune to setbacks, challenges and even failures yet by being derailed they lose the leadership fundamentals. Communicating hard time with team members and discussing it is one thing, falling off the wagon of the non negotiable leadership traits is another.