Have you ever wondered why some leaders are more popular than others? It is of course about getting the job done and overall effectiveness. However, it involves two other very important factors—social and emotional control.
Social control means exhibiting control on oneself when dealing with followers or while in public. It means behaving appropriately according to circumstances. This is about doing the right thing for the sake of an important aspect of the bigger picture—long term reputation.
Emotional control, as the name suggests means keeping emotions in check. It is about masking or suppressing expressed negative emotions in stressful situations. A transformational leader must exhibit these traits if she wants to be perceived as successful in the eyes of her followers, and of course for the sake of the organization as a whole.
By maintaining social and emotional control, leaders send positive signals to their team that the situation is under control. To be able to have control on public display of social and emotional behavior, the leader is also sending a message that similar behavior is expected from his followers. He thus influences and inspires his followers.
Many times, in the bigger interests of the organization, leaders must mask anger and frustration. For example, frustration can be a natural result when sales targets are not met. At such times, instead of losing social and emotional control and firing up emotions at anyone around. The leader must become aware how he is feeling and realize that outbursts of anger will ultimately portray a weak picture of the leader. In the long run, that out of control leader will not be able to motivate his followers.
For this reason, it is important to remember that battles are won if the leader exudes confidence even in the worst scenario. Situations handled with wisdom and maturity strengthen teams and promote innovation that takes productivity to the next level.
It is important to know that this does not mean that the leader should never ever express displeasure over anything. Yes, they may show their displeasure on not being able to achieve a sales target. They may have to warn employees to be on their toes and give their 100% and that meeting each sales target is a number one priority. But there should be an awareness to restrain negative emotions while dealing with the situation. Today’s leaders must be aware of their actions and that fiery outbursts rarely ignite favorable response from the subordinates over long periods of time. It is a leader’s task to motivate and create a sense of urgency in each employee and focus on accomplishing organizational goals with excellence and effectiveness.
Today’s leaders must maintain a perfect balance between suppressing his sentiments and expressing sentiments of importance to his followers. This is particularly true when dealing with the subordinates individually. Effective leaders know that each employee is different and unique. So his perception of each situation also differs. One subordinate may become depressed on hearing a negative comment from the superior, while the same comment may push another follower to do better. So, it becomes important for leaders to understand individual needs and try to alter her behavior suitably while dealing with each individual.
Finally, leaders should be able to stimulate every subordinate intellectually. This means, effective leaders should challenge team members to find solutions to existing problems. She should motivate each employee to think creatively. Leaders should be bold risk takers, and NEVER afraid to fail.
If leaders do not show support when a subordinate fails while trying a new idea, it may ultimately deter followers from experimenting and creating innovative new ideas in the future. Innovation is the key to the success of every modern organization in this ever changing competitive global market. Stagnation and apathy hinders growth in organizations both large and small. It is ultimately the fault of individual leaders. Therefore, effective leaders must learn to restrain negative social and emotional displays and thereby provide an atmosphere conducive for creativity, growth and even short-term failure due to calculated risks. Without risks, there cannot be growth.
