Minding Our Mood

“Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson

As leaders, there are many different ways we can persuade those we lead. One of the least thought of, yet most powerful ways, is through our moods. In fact, even the most subtle emotions can be felt by others and can impact them for either good or bad. Too often I let fatigue, impatience, or stress affect my mood. Yet, paying close attention to our moods as leaders is extremely important and valuable.

Moods almost always influence others and are often termed “viral”, because they spread from one person to another. This is especially true between a leader and those he or she guides. When we are able to maintain an upbeat and positive mood, these emotions spread and increase energy, excitement, and collaboration among those around us. When our mood is negative, even in the slightest form, we tend to have the opposite effect on others.

Now perhaps our stronger emotions or moods that are more noticeable are easy for us to control, but what about our “low-key” emotions? Often emotions are measured in extremes but how we present ourselves in a more routine situation is also important. Self-assessing our moods often, even during “low-key” times can help us make big improvements. Making even small improvements will go a long way in making us more pleasant, more influential, and more successful leaders.

Finally, as leaders we must understand that a well functioning group is not only a result of the skills the individuals possess, but more often is a result of the good synergistic moods that exist between members. Thus, training our emotions is extremely important to help positively influence any size of team or group.

So remember, paying close attention to our moods, even our subtle ones, will have a huge impact on those around us and our success as leaders.