The Power and Purpose of Anger

Have you ever gotten frustrated as a boss with your employees and wondered if you handled the situation appropriately?

Everyone experiences anger at some point in their lives.

The majority of anger is considered healthy and normal. It can be a natural part of the grieving process or a result of everyday stressors such as lack of sleep or excessive workload. Additionally, anger can stem from built-up frustration, loss of control, or feeling betrayed.

Anger is a powerful emotion that can drive people towards favorable resolutions or hinder their thinking ability. It can be harnessed to collectively combat evil, as seen in the American public's response to the 9/11 attacks, or terrorist jihadists can manipulate it to recruit suicide bombers. Understanding and appropriately responding to all emotions, including anger, is essential for effective communication.

Managing emotions is a vital aspect of being an effective leader. The ability to express empathy is crucial in influencing others effectively. As a leader, it allows you to attract followers. Our words hold power, but it is ultimately how others interpret them that truly matters. Maya Angelou wisely stated, "People will never forget how you made them feel."

Everyone goes through moments of anger. The majority of anger is beneficial for us. Take grieving, for instance. It's a natural part of the process. Sometimes, anger arises due to everyday stress caused by exhaustion or excessive workload. Other times, it stems from suppressed frustration, losing control, or feeling betrayed.

Anger is a deeply personal experience that can quickly become very public.

• A 2024 study showed that over 60% of office workers have experienced uncontrolled anger outbursts directed at their colleagues, customers, or even helpless equipment.
• A staggering 65% of office workers experience office rage, which is an alarming percentage.
• 64% of people believe society is becoming angrier, which expresses a growing worry about the rising levels of anger in our communities.

Anger is a tricky emotion to deal with. It cannot be eliminated, but we can learn how to handle it better. Understanding and responding appropriately to all emotions, including anger, is crucial for effective communication. And as a leader, managing emotions is vital for success.

Influential leaders learn to control their emotions in ways that enhance their performance.

They suppress their emotional inclinations when required to be highly logical and amplify their emotions when they want to convey themselves in manners that motivate others.

Influential leaders have the power to impact the emotions of those around them. They provide comfort during times of sorrow and alleviate the concerns of others. They empathize with people's fears and encourage them to pursue their aspirations and goals. Exceptional leaders ignite a fire within people, motivating them to work together towards a common objective. When faced with remarkable leadership, individuals are inspired to excel and achieve what truly holds significance.

Being a successful leader requires navigating emotions to achieve better outcomes. When faced with excessive excitement, guiding individuals towards maintaining their focus is essential. In times of overwhelming emotions, your role is to empower them to find determination. When sadness or grief takes hold, it's crucial to provide a sense of purpose that can inspire them to move forward and seek a more promising future.

?Angry people are predictably unpredictable because anger undermines our ability to reason.

Mark Twain wrote, "Anger is an acid that can do more harm to the vessel in which it is stored than to anything on which it is poured." Anger corrodes the internal harness that enables self-control. It eats at you and eventually consumes you.

Groucho Marx, offering advice to a contestant on his television show, "You Bet Your Life," observed: "If you speak when angry, you will make the best speech you'll ever regret." Being angry can mess with your head. Your adrenaline is pumping, and it becomes difficult to think straight. It feels like your brain is on lockdown, making it challenging to develop rational thoughts. In this state, you're more likely to make decisions with a narrow perspective and overlook the apparent consequences you would typically see when you're in a better mental state.

Anger can be used as a driving force to achieve goals and take action. However, it becomes problematic when we lose control, our anger turns into rage, and we make destructive choices. Whether anger is used productively or destructively is often a matter of choice. As with any choice, the more you understand the situation and the possible consequences of your actions, the better the chance you will act most appropriately.

It is far easier to make an angry person angrier than to calm them down.

Anger is like a fire; when people are angry, they become susceptible to manipulation and lose their ability to reason. This is how riots start. It's not just about individuals losing control; it's also about being influenced and finding some advantage in participating in the chaos. Instigators often exploit people's anger to fuel movements and organize protests.

People can be led by inspiration or manipulation. A good leader inspires people to perform.

A highly competent leader acting with a noble purpose can help people channel their anger into productive and positive things.

The factual basis for joy in our lives is our deep satisfaction when we accomplish meaningful things. We might sense we are happy when we indulge in healthy distractions, experiences that contrast with the everyday routines of our lives. But real Moments of Overwhelming Joy – or MoJo, is the result of preparing ourselves to be competent, meaning able to accomplish things and then actually doing so.

At its core, all anger stems from dissatisfaction.

Most people simply shrug off mild dissatisfaction when things aren't perfect or going how they want. Life is a whole of such problems, and your instincts for connection with others drive the essential emotional intelligence that helps keep anger in check. People are sometimes and rightfully fearful of expressing their anger over concerns for the more significant discomfort of feeling isolated – or worse, doing actual harm to others. That same need for human connection can whip the discomfort into a frenzy when group thinking short-circuits your decision-making and emotions spiral out of control.

For leaders, managing their emotions and helping others do the same connects anger to more rational impulses. This is how people channel their anger. When you separate the source of your anger from your actual emotion, you can use the dissatisfaction to motivate change. They focused their anger on a purpose that caused them to endure and bond with each other over a common cause.

To be highly effective as a leader, you must embrace anger in productive ways.

Most emotions cause relatively predictable behavior, but anger left to its impact, is a wildcard that can take individuals and groups wildly off-course. Some questions for you:

1. Do you think you can convey a sense of disappointment without yelling?
2. Do you believe anger will cause people to close themselves off or open up regarding a situation?
3. Do you believe it is better to make statements or ask questions?

I have learned that by asking questions instead of making statements, you may gain insightful information that may lead you to understand why certain decisions were made. You must curb your anger if you desire and aim to be a fully competent, highly effective leader. Make the emotion work for you, not against you. A leader must be the "The Eye of the Storm." While everyone is upset, angry, emotional, or moving at 100 miles per hour, the eye moves at 15 miles an hour. Self-reflection takes discipline and time; the investment will be worth the reward. Organizations with managers who cultivate strong relationships with their employees experience higher loyalty, trust, productivity, and joy.

These actions differentiate the irascible from the leaders.