Sad leaders often achieve better outcomes than angry leaders

Leaders often believe that they should show anger to make subordinates more compliant, thinking they will then be seen as more effective at work or within their organization. They also feel it is bad if they show emotions such as sadness. While it is true that angry leaders are perceived by others to wield more power, followers warm more easily to those showing more vulnerable emotions, says Tanja Schwarzmüller of the Technical University of Munich in Germany. This study, published in Springer's Journal of Business and Psychology, wants to find out how perceptions about leaders' power bases might explain why angry leaders are considered to be more powerful than sad leaders, yet still score lower on their leadership report cards.

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