Leader-Facilitated Emotion Management in Context: Empathy & Skill
Abstract
The balance between leader emotional skills and ability is not well understood. Leaders who recognize and understand emotions appear in the research as more competent and successful. Applying emotion management strategies, however, may also benefit leaders from a skills-based perspective. Using an existing, intrapersonally-oriented taxonomy of emotion management strategies this study examined leader-facilitated emotion management behaviors in light of follower attitudes, stress, and performance. Whereas interpersonal emotion management is influenced by social and contextual forces, empathic tone of strategy delivery and organizational crisis were examined as moderators. Three different models predicted the organizational outcomes tested: leader effectiveness, workplace stress, and creative problem-solving. Leader-facilitated emotion management is seen as an indicator of effective leadership, but the extent to which a strategy buffers emotion is contingent upon empathic deliver and context. Effective application of emotion management strategies appears to be increased when the leader is emotionally competent.
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