Question: Critically analyse the “Leaders as Mood and Emotion Managers” perspective on leadership.

Leadership is a crucial aspect of organizational success. Over the years, scholars have developed different perspectives on leadership, including trait, behavioural, contingency, transformational, and charismatic theories. One of the most recent perspectives is the “Leaders as Mood and Emotion Managers” perspective. This perspective emphasizes the importance of leaders in managing the emotions and moods of their followers to enhance their performance and job satisfaction. This paper critically analyses the “Leaders as Mood and Emotion Managers” perspective on leadership.

Background

The “Leaders as Mood and Emotion Managers” perspective is a recent development in leadership studies. It is based on the idea that emotions play a crucial role in organizational life, and leaders have the responsibility to manage the emotions and moods of their followers to achieve organizational goals. The perspective draws on the emotional intelligence theory, which suggests that emotional intelligence is a crucial component of effective leadership (Goleman, 1998). Emotional intelligence comprises four components: self-awareness, self-regulation, social awareness, and relationship management.

According to the “Leaders as Mood and Emotion Managers” perspective, leaders need to be emotionally intelligent to be effective in managing the emotions and moods of their followers. They need to be aware of their own emotions and how these emotions affect their behaviour and decision-making. They also need to regulate their emotions to avoid negative emotions that may affect their followers negatively. Additionally, leaders need to be socially aware of the emotions of their followers and understand how to manage these emotions to enhance their performance and job satisfaction. Finally, leaders need to be skilled in relationship management to build trust and foster positive emotions among their followers.

Critique of the “Leaders as Mood and Emotion Managers” Perspective

Although the “Leaders as Mood and Emotion Managers” perspective has gained popularity in recent years, it has also received criticism from scholars. One of the criticisms is that the perspective overlooks the importance of other leadership styles and theories, such as transformational and servant leadership (Kernis, 2003). Transformational and servant leaders focus on empowering their followers and creating a positive organizational culture, which can enhance performance and job satisfaction. These leaders also create a sense of purpose and meaning among their followers, which can lead to higher levels of engagement and commitment.

Another criticism of the “Leaders as Mood and Emotion Managers” perspective is that it is difficult to measure emotional intelligence, which makes it challenging to determine whether a leader is emotionally intelligent or not (Goleman, Boyatzis, & McKee, 2002). Emotional intelligence is a complex construct that comprises several dimensions, and there is no consensus on how to measure it. Some scholars have suggested using self-report measures, while others have proposed using multi-rater or 360-degree feedback assessments. However, these measures have limitations, such as social desirability bias and halo effects, which can affect their validity and reliability.

Moreover, some scholars have argued that the “Leaders as Mood and Emotion Managers” perspective ignores the role of followers in the leadership process (Ashkanasy & Daus, 2002). According to this view, followers also have a role to play in managing their emotions and moods, and they can influence the emotions and moods of their leaders. Thus, leadership should be seen as a dynamic process that involves the interaction between leaders and followers, rather than a one-way process where leaders manage the emotions and moods of their followers.

Furthermore, some scholars have criticized the “Leaders as Mood and Emotion Managers” perspective for its focus on positive emotions and moods and its neglect of negative emotions and moods (Lindebaum & Cartwright, 2010). Although positive emotions and moods are essential for enhancing performance and job satisfaction, negative emotions and moods can also have positive effects, such as promoting creativity and problem-solving. Thus, leaders need to be skilled in managing both positive and negative emotions and moods to achieve organizational goals.

In addition, some scholars have criticized the “Leaders as Mood and Emotion Managers” perspective for its potential to be manipulative and inauthentic (Lindebaum & Cartwright, 2010). The perspective suggests that leaders should manage the emotions and moods of their followers to achieve organizational goals, which can lead to a focus on manipulation rather than genuine emotional expression. Furthermore, some leaders may use emotional management techniques to mask their own negative emotions or to hide organizational problems from their followers, which can lead to a lack of transparency and trust.

Finally, some scholars have argued that the “Leaders as Mood and Emotion Managers” perspective is limited in its applicability to different cultural contexts (Chhokar, Brodbeck, & House, 2008). Emotional expressions and norms vary across cultures, and what may be considered appropriate emotional management in one culture may be perceived as inappropriate in another. Thus, leaders need to be aware of cultural differences in emotional expression and management to be effective in managing the emotions and moods of their followers in different cultural contexts.

Conclusion

The “Leaders as Mood and Emotion Managers” perspective on leadership emphasizes the importance of emotional intelligence and emotional management skills for effective leadership. Although the perspective has gained popularity in recent years, it has also received criticism from scholars. Critics argue that the perspective overlooks the importance of other leadership styles and theories, such as transformational and servant leadership, and that it is difficult to measure emotional intelligence. Moreover, some scholars have argued that the perspective ignores the role of followers in the leadership process, neglects negative emotions and moods, and has the potential to be manipulative and inauthentic. Finally, the perspective is limited in its applicability to different cultural contexts.

Overall, the “Leaders as Mood and Emotion Managers” perspective can be a useful framework for understanding the role of emotions in leadership, but it should not be seen as a comprehensive or universal theory of leadership. Effective leadership requires a combination of emotional intelligence, transformational and servant leadership skills, and an understanding of cultural differences in emotional expression and management. Thus, leaders should strive to develop a range of skills and styles to be effective in managing the emotions and moods of their followers and achieving organizational goals.

Future Research Directions

Despite the criticisms and limitations of the “Leaders as Mood and Emotion Managers” perspective, it has provided important insights into the role of emotions in leadership. However, there is still much to be learned about how leaders can effectively manage emotions and moods in different contexts. Future research could explore the following areas:

1. The role of followers: Although the “Leaders as Mood and Emotion Managers” perspective emphasizes the importance of leaders in managing emotions and moods, it is essential to understand the role of followers in the process. Future research could investigate how followers’ emotions and moods affect the leadership process and how leaders can effectively respond to them.

2. The impact of negative emotions: The perspective mainly focuses on positive emotions, but negative emotions can also play a crucial role in leadership. Future research could explore how leaders can manage negative emotions such as anger, frustration, and disappointment in themselves and their followers.

3. Cross-cultural differences: The “Leaders as Mood and Emotion Managers” perspective assumes that emotional norms and expressions are similar across cultures, but this is not always the case. Future research could investigate how leaders can effectively manage emotions and moods in different cultural contexts.

4. Measuring emotional intelligence: The “Leaders as Mood and Emotion Managers” perspective assumes that emotional intelligence is a critical skill for leaders, but measuring emotional intelligence is challenging. Future research could explore more accurate and reliable ways of measuring emotional intelligence.

In conclusion, the “Leaders as Mood and Emotion Managers” perspective has provided significant insights into the role of emotions and moods in leadership. The perspective emphasizes the importance of emotional intelligence and emotional management skills for effective leadership. Although the perspective has received criticisms and limitations, it has sparked discussions and generated research in the field of leadership. Effective leadership requires a combination of emotional intelligence, transformational and servant leadership skills, and an understanding of cultural differences in emotional expression and management. Future research could further explore the role of followers, negative emotions, cross-cultural differences, and measuring emotional intelligence in the leadership process.