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The Global Emotional Intelligence Test uses 40 questions which are derived from, the Global instrument, which contains 158 items. These are based on Goleman's four quadrant Emotional Intelligence Competency Model (2002). Click EI Capability Assessment here for more details. Short EI quizzes such as this are meant to be fun, and to give you a guide to which EI areas you are doing well in and those which perhaps you need to focus on for development.

This Test, is a forced-choice psychological test which requires you to choose Instructions for the FREE EI Test one statement in each pair of statements that describes you best. For each pair of statements, select the statement that best applies to you. Do not over-analyse the questions, or try to think of "exceptions to the rule." Be spontaneous and choose the statement that comes closest to the way you are.

Occasionally there will be questions that ask you to make a close call between two choices. This is because the Test is trying to distinguish between specific areas. If a question is very close and you can't decide which statement applies to you best, you can come back to it after you have completed the other questions.

The Test usually takes about 10 minutes to complete. At the end of the test, click on the Score Test button, and wait for the computer to generate an EI profile of your scores. If you have answered honestly and accurately, your scores will reflect your capability level within each of the EI quadrants.

We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the results of this Test - only that it can help you begin your journey of self-development!

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Emotional Intelligence Test - Global Leadership Foundation

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Free emotional intelligence test developed by Global Leadership Foundation

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This style incorporates emotions and sense of purpose.

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Trying to pin down what makes an effective school leader can be a little like trying to eat soup with a fork, but a group of academics has come up with what looks like a pretty good list.

I reported earlier this month on a study by experts at the Institute of Education (IoE) in London into the turnaround of schools in one of the city's poorest boroughs, from the worst performing in England to among the best in the world.

Not surprisingly, the researchers identified the quality of leadership as one of the key factors driving the transformation, in line with many previous studies into school improvement, such as Kenneth Leithwood and Karen Seashore-Louis' influential 2011 Linking Leadership to Student Learning.

But the IoE academics - professors David Woods and Chris Husbands and Dr Chris Brown - went further. Through a study of reports by school inspectors, they came up with a set of characteristics shared by successful school leaders that I thought was worth sharing.

1. They have consistent, high expectations and are very ambitious for the success of their pupils.

2. They constantly demonstrate that disadvantage need not be a barrier to achievement.

3. They focus relentlessly on improving teaching and learning with very effective professional development of all staff.

4. They are expert at assessment and the tracking of pupil progress with appropriate support and intervention based upon a detailed knowledge of individual pupils.

5. They are highly inclusive, having complete regard for the progress and personal development of every pupil.

6. They develop individual students through promoting rich opportunities for learning both within and out of the classroom.

7. They cultivate a range of partnerships particularly with parents, business and the community to support pupil learning and progress.

8. They are robust and rigorous in terms of self-evaluation and data analysis with clear strategies for improvement.

Although this list was drawn up with particular reference to schools in difficult circumstances, they appear to readily translate into different contexts. What is particularly heartening is that there is also considerable overlap with qualities of leadership identified by one of England's most respected school principals.

Sir David Carter is chief executive of the Cabot Learning Federation, a group of 11 schools based in and around Bristol. Many of the schools joined the federation after they were identified as in need of improvement, and Sir David was knighted earlier this year for services to education.

When I interviewed him last month for an article on superheads - principals skilled in turning around struggling schools - he spoke about the need to work relentlessly on behalf of pupils (3), having a clear and consistent vision (1) and working closely with the community the school serves (7).

He also adds other qualities, some perhaps implicit in the IoE list, but all crucial to the successful school leadership. Among these was the ability to balance strategic and operational roles, and the ability to manage change and understand how it works.

Another is talent spotting. Sir David invests a huge amount of time in making the right appointments and in getting people in the right roles.

Effective principals also need to have a high level of emotional intelligence and interpersonal skills. Often, the power of school leaders is vested in their capacity to persuade and influence, rather than to direct. "You have to take people with you, you can't be bullish," Sir David says. "You have got to build collaboration and get people to work together."

Finally, Sir David identifies a sense of moral purpose. While this may be of most significance in disadvantaged areas, the desire to get the best for all children is something every principal should possess. "I don't know many who don't have that," Sir David adds.

Of course, every school leader will have a different list. Many will echo these characteristics, many will emphasise different aspects and some will add their own characteristics. But this list - plus Sir David's additions - seems to offer a set of core qualities.

The next question - and one to which I hope to return in a future article - is whether it is reasonable to expect to find them all in one person, and whether the increasingly onerous requirements of the job are off-putting for people who are eminently suitable to lead our schools.

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The Eight Characteristics Of Effective School Leaders

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Trying to pin down what makes an effective school leader can be a little like trying to eat soup with a fork, but a group of academics has come up with what looks like a pretty good list.

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Your leadership philosophy will need to evolve as you become a better leader.

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Your leadership philosophy will need to evolve as you become a better leader.

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Earlier, we discussed why having a leadership philosophy is essential. The importance is based on Character, Consistency, and Collaboration. Understanding the value may be the easy part. The challenge is in taking the time to develop your leadership philosophy and then use it.

The process to develop a leadership philosophy may vary by individual. Developing one is the key so don't get bogged down in the process. Use a process that works for you. Again, the important element is to begin and write a leadership philosophy.

To recap, a philosophy is "a theory or attitude held by a person or organization that acts as a guiding principle for behavior." Several components are evident within this definition:

A theory: Serves as a basis for how we act. Theories evolve as new information is processed and we learn from our experiences.

An attitude: Attitude is about mindset. Leaders embrace a mindset to influence others in positive ways so meaningful results can be achieved.

Guiding principles: Principles are the beliefs we hold close, keeping us grounded and centered in how we lead in.

Behavior: Behavior is where our actions come together to match our words and our words match our actions. Behavior is where trust is gained or lost.

Step 1: Select an admirable leader

One of the first things you might want to do is identify someone you admire as a leader. This person can be a historic figure or a current one leading a company, community, or university. Political leaders are options, too. Identify what you admire about this person. Be specific.

What traits make them stand out?

What have they done or are doing to be an admirable, respected leader?

What type of working relationships have they built?

What are their exceptional leadership attributes and imperfections?

Understand what you like about their leadership style and results and why you admire them. Use these elements as a basis for developing your own leadership philosophy. The objective is to not mimic them but learn from them and then apply those lessons learned to your leadership philosophy.

Step 2: Define your theory, attitude, principles, and behavior

Each component needs to be thought through and defined. The process does not need to be complex but it does need to be thoughtful. To begin the development process, highlighted below are key statements to complete for each component.

Theory:

I believe ____________________________.

Take the time to think through 3 to 5 leadership elements you believe to be true in your heart and soul. For you, these elements are irrefutable right here, right now. Based on your experiences to date, you believe these 3 to 5 elements to be critical to leading effectively and productively. By belief I mean, these are elements you believe to be true about people, culture, and community.

Just start writing. Don't over-think it. Just write until nothing else comes to mind. Now, review, consolidate, eliminate. Focus on the 3 to 5 that resonate most within your heart and soul.

For example:

I believe open, respectful collaboration can solve any problem.

I believe excuses and rationalizations are just being lazy.

Attitude:

My thoughts will ___________________________.

My words will _____________________________.

What is your general attitude in the workplace and in your neighborhood? What type of words do you use most often? What type of good thoughts do you think about when working with others or when preparing for a meeting? As you put yourself in this frame of reference, write out your statements. After you have several written down, read through them and discern what each say about your desired attitude. Write down your attitude attributes.

For example:

My thoughts will focus on what is possible even when things seem impossible.

My words will try to encourage everyone to do their best and spark a laugh when appropriate.

Principles:

I will lead by/with ___________________________.

What is non-negotiable? What are your imperatives? To be a stellar leader, what needs to shine brightly and fully in working with others, making decisions, and holding all accountable.

For example:

I will lead by always trying to do my best in whatever I do.

I will lead with empathy - listening attentively, seeking to understand, and leveraging the experience and talents of others fully.

I will lead with learning mindset, knowing that situations change, people change, and learning equals growth.

Behavior:

I expect to _________________________ in _________________________ situations.

Behavior is where your leadership philosophy gets tested. Behavior determines whether your leadership philosophy is just a bunch of lofty words to be used in team meetings or visible in your everyday actions. Identify what you expect your behavior to be, given your theories, attitude, and principles. Think through success and failure. Think through achievements and tough challenges.

For example:

I expect to respond rather than react in challenging situations.

I expect to focus on the process to understand and change in challenging situations.

Step 3: Check your leadership philosophy

After you think each through and write out your responses, the next step is to go have a conversation with people around you and ask them how they would answer each of the questions:

What do you think I believe?

What do you think my attitude is in good and challenging times?

How do you think I lead?

In good and challenging situations, what did my behaviors say about my leadership?

Test drive your leadership philosophy, ensuring how you want to lead matches with how you actually lead. This doesn't mean you need to lower the bar of your leadership philosophy. The opposite, in fact. Understand the work ahead and the possibilities of leading fully within your philosophy.

I never developed a leadership philosophy when I was 20 something. I wish I had. I would have been a stronger leader and learned more about myself and others along the way. It is never too late to begin.

Some parts of a leadership philosophy are intuitive to who we are. Thinking through what type of leader we want to be and how we want to lead will make us a better leader. More importantly, in those difficult times, having a leadership philosophy will keep us centered in moving forward as well as within the right boundaries when temptations arise.
What suggestions would you add to develop a leadership philosophy? What value do you see in having a leadership philosophy?

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Earlier, we discussed why having a leadership philosophy is essential. The importance is based on Character, Consistency, and Collaboration. Understanding the value may be the easy part. The challenge is in taking the time to develop your leadership philosophy and then use it. The process to develop a leadership philosophy may vary by individual.

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More ideas for educational leadership styles

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More ideas for educational leadership styles

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5 Leadership Styles that Can Transform Education As We Know It

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Spread the loveWhen considering school reform, it's often easy to think of factors such as who is responsible (teachers, parents, school systems, the government?), or of funding issues such as the fact that 23 states spend less on poor schools than on more affluent schools. Of course all the obvious factors are important.

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A great leader always seeks to improve their strategy. Here are ideas for books to read.

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A great leader always seeks to improve their strategy. Here are ideas for books to read.

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Deep work as defined by author and professor Cal Newport in his best selling book, Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World is a concept born out of the difficulty many people have today in handling distractions caused by the boom in digital communications.

These distractions prevent us from focusing on work that matters and contributes towards us feeling overwhelmed and over-worked every day yet at the same time, leaving us feeling we are not doing work that really matters. We are reacting rather than being proactive.

Deep work prevents us from reacting by scheduling time for focused work where we turn off all our notifications and devices for an hour or two and sit down in a quiet place undisturbed to focus on work that matters. It allows us to focus without distraction.

It does work and it is something I have been using for years when I need to get a book finished or I have an important project to complete. Two hours set aside for planned focused work puts me in a position to get my projects completed on time and to a high level of quality.

How Deep Work Helps You Refocus

There are many benefits to deep work. Here are my 17 favourite ways deep work can help you to become much more productive and effective with your time and your work.

1. Unimportant distractions are gone

How often have you received a text message saying "did you get my email?" Checking emails is one of the biggest time wastes there is. Just looking at a message like that takes your focus away from what is important.

The refocusing time is estimated to be anywhere between three and twenty-one minutes. Turning off your notifications stops these unnecessary interruptions and allows you to focus on what is important-your work.

2. Quiet, deep work time allows you to think

When we allow all these distractions to enter our life, we find there is little to no time for thinking. And yet, thinking is an important ingredient if we want to produce quality work.

Giving yourself time each day for deep work will allow you to think clearly and begin producing better quality work

3. Begin to feel more fulfilled

When you start spending more uninterrupted time on the important work, you will find you feel more fulfilled. This is a result of you getting important, fulfilling work done and reducing the amount of time you spend on unimportant, unfulfilling work.

4. Make fewer mistakes

When you are constantly distracted from the work at hand, you will make more mistakes. When you allow yourself to stay focused on one task you will make fewer mistakes because you are not having to stop and start a piece of work. You will be more focused.

5. Need less time to do the work

And of course, when you are making fewer mistakes you spend less time doing the work and revising. This allows you more time to do more quality work.

6. Deadlines are easily met

When you schedule deep work on your calendar each day or week, you can confidently plan out when you will do the work that has deadlines.

Knowing you will have periods of uninterrupted time to work on a piece of work will give you the confidence you need to meet the deadline.

7. Experience less stress

When you know you have the time to do the work without any interruptions, you begin feeling less stressed about what you have to do.

A great example is writing this article. I have a deadline and I have scheduled two sessions of deep work to get it written and edited. I feel no stress. I know I will complete it on time.

8. The quality of your work will improve

The problem with allowing distractions into your work time is that you are not fully focused on the work. By giving yourself total focused time on a piece of work, you will naturally improve the quality of your work.

9. The amount of work you get done increases

When you are completely focused on the important work, you will find you get a lot more done in each session. Just two hours per day focused on work that really matters will dramatically improve your output.

10. Have time to deal with the distractions.

One of the fears people have about scheduling deep work is they will miss out on something important. The reality is that is unlikely and even if there was something important, you will still see it after your deep work session.

11. Receive more respect

When your boss, colleagues and customers/clients see you schedule time for deep work, they begin to respect you more because they admire your discipline.

Very few people have the necessary discipline to sit down and focus for two hours without looking at their phone, email or notifications. Those of us that can do that are treated with a lot more respect.

12. People will respect your time more

Ever noticed the people in your office who do all the chatting are the ones always complaining about how little time they have to do their work? While it may seem those chatterers are popular, the reality is people are not respecting their time.

When you start doing undisturbed deep work, people will begin respecting your time much more.

13. Your self-discipline will improve

One of the peripheral benefits of practicing regular sessions of deep work is you will find your self-discipline becomes stronger. Self-discipline is the foundation of achieving so many things in life, from your goals to improvements in your health and relationships.

14. Your efficiency will improve

In today's world of detractions, it is very hard to be efficient with the work we do. We get dragged down avenues of procrastination because we are always trying to attend to too many things.

Practicing deep work every day allows us to focus on one thing which leads to much greater efficiency.

15. Projects you thought would never get completed begin to get completed

This one is one of the biggest benefits I have found with deep work. There have been many projects I felt were either too big or too complicated to get completed. After a few sessions of deep work, these projects start getting done and after only a short period of time, they were well on their way to being completed.

16. Your work-life balance improves

Many of the reasons we find it difficult to maintain a good work-life balance is because much of the work we have to do is done in fits and starts. When this happens, there is often the need to do catch-up work in the evenings or at weekends.

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Deep work prevents this from happening because you work on the important work in a focused state leading to more of your work being completed well within the deadlines.

17. Know how to distinguish between important and unimportant work

Deep work forces you to decide what work is important and what work would have the biggest positive impact on your projects. When you begin practicing deep work regularly, you start to focus more on the high value work and less on the low value work.

6 Steps to Use Deep Work to Ignite Productivity

1. Use time blocks on your calendar

The first step to taking advantage of deep work is to block time out on your calendar. To do this, review your calendar for the next day and identify where you will have one or two hours free for focused work.

Ideally, one hour in the morning and one hour in the afternoon is what you are looking for but, be flexible. If you have a relatively free morning and back to back meetings in the afternoon, then block time only in the morning.

2. Start small

If you have never blocked time out for focused work before, then start small.

Begin with thirty minutes and gradually increase your time. It should not be difficult to find 30 minutes a day to sit down in a quiet place and get on with your work.

Once you are comfortable with 30 minutes, increase the time to 1 hour. It is surprising how much you can get done in 1 hour and so, make it a goal to get to a daily deep work session of 1 hour as quickly as you can. Just this 1 hour every day will massively increase your productivity.

3. Decide what you will work on the day before

This step is crucial. If you do not plan what you will work on before you sit down to do deep work, you will waste valuable time looking for something to do. Plan ahead.

I recommend you take 10 minutes before you finish for the day and make a decision on what you will work on during your focused work time.

An additional benefit in doing this is you give your subconscious brain time to develop some creative ideas for the project you are going to work on.

4. Find a quiet place to do your work

If you stay in your normal work station and try and do your focused work, you are going to be interrupted by someone or something.

Try to find a quiet place to do your work. In an office, find a meeting room where you can work undisturbed. Alternatively, if you are permitted to do so, do your deep work sessions in a local coffee shop or at home.

What you are looking for is a regular place you can do your deep work that will allow you to go into focused work mode quickly. Using the same place will put you in the right frame of mind as soon as you sit down and start.

5. Find your best time

Some people are naturally morning people, others are naturally night people. To really get the benefit of deep work, schedule your deep work sessions when you are at your best.

For me, that is early in the morning. I do all my focussed work between 6 am and 8 am where possible. I've found that between 6 am and 8 am, I am also less likely to be disturbed and they are not likely to be any meetings at that time.

6. Be consistent

To get the full benefit of deep work sessions, you need to be consistent.

Consistency develops habits. Once you are in the habit of reviewing your calendar the day before and blocking out a couple of sessions each day where you go into deep work mode and doing it, it becomes something you just do.

Consistently spending time in deep work mode will very quickly give you a return of increased productivity and less stress.

6. No excuses!

Never allow yourself to make an excuse for not doing your scheduled deep work session.

Of course, there will be times when a crisis occurs and you have to re-schedule. But, never allow yourself to make excuses like: "I'm too tired" or "I'm not in the mood."

Once you allow yourself to make an excuse for not doing your deep work session, you will eventually stop doing it.

Be strict with yourself and be strategic with scheduling your deep work sessions. If you know you are going to have a night out with your friends that could finish late, then do not schedule a deep work session for early the next day. If there is a risk an afternoon meeting will overrun, then do not schedule a deep work session after the meeting.

The Bottom Line

The ability to focus is a valuable skill if you want to achieve your goals and become successful. Practising deep work will make you free from distraction and benefit your work, your career and your life. All you need to do is decide when you will do your deep work.

More Articles to Help You Improve Focus

Featured photo credit: Pexels via pexels.com

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15 Best Leadership Books Every Leader Must Read To Achieve Success

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Deep work as defined by author and professor Cal Newport in his best selling book, Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World is a concept born out of the difficulty many people have today in handling distractions caused by the boom in digital communications.

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An article explaining Centered Leadership

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An article explaining Centered Leadership

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Daring Leadership Assessment with Brene Brown

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Daring Leadership Assessment with Brene Brown

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Daring leadership is a collection of four skill sets that are teachable, observable, and measurable: Rumbling with Vulnerability, Living into our Values, Braving Trust, and Learning to Rise.

The Daring Leadership Assessment will help you gauge your strengths and your opportunities for growth as a daring leader. On average, the assessment takes less than ten minutes, and you will be able to print or email the results to yourself.

We do NOT store responses or results.

Deep gratitude to everyone who worked on this three-year assessment project. Special thanks to Dr. Ronda Dearing, our senior director of research, and to the MBA and EMBA students at the Jones Graduate School of Business at Rice University, the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, and the Wharton School at University of Pennsylvania.

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The Daring Leadership Assessment will help you gauge your strengths and opportunities for growth as a daring leader. Based on the work and research of Brené Brown.

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Transformational Leadership is one of my favorite styles

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Transformational Leadership is one of my favorite styles

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Have you ever been in a group where someone took control of the situation by conveying a clear vision of the group's goals, a marked passion for the work, and an ability to make the rest of the group feel recharged and energized? This person just might be what is called a transformational leader.

Transformational leadership is a leadership style that can inspire positive changes in those who follow. Transformational leaders are generally energetic, enthusiastic, and passionate. Not only are these leaders concerned and involved in the process; they are also focused on helping every member of the group succeed as well.

Quick Background

The concept of transformational leadership was initially introduced by leadership expert and presidential biographer James MacGregor Burns. According to Burns, transformational leadership can be seen when "leaders and followers make each other to advance to a higher level of moral and motivation."﻿﻿

Later, researcher Bernard M. Bass expanded upon Burns's original ideas to develop what is today referred to as Bass's Transformational Leadership Theory. According to Bass, transformational leadership can be defined based on the impact that it has on followers. Transformational leaders, Bass suggested, garner trust, respect, and admiration from their followers.﻿﻿

Mental Health in the Workplace Webinar

Components

Bass also suggested that there were four different components of transformational leadership.

1. Intellectual Stimulation: Transformational leaders not only challenge the status quo; they also encourage creativity among followers. The leader encourages followers to explore new ways of doing things and new opportunities to learn.

2. Individualized Consideration: Transformational leadership also involves offering support and encouragement to individual followers. In order to foster supportive relationships, transformational leaders keep lines of communication open so that followers feel free to share ideas and so that leaders can offer direct recognition of the unique contributions of each follower.

3. Inspirational Motivation: Transformational leaders have a clear vision that they are able to articulate to followers. These leaders are also able to help followers experience the same passion and motivation to fulfill these goals.

4. Idealized Influence: The transformational leader serve as a role model for followers. Because followers trust and respect the leader, they emulate this individual and internalize his or her ideals.

So what are some typical signs of a transformational leader? Groups led by this type of leader tend to be both successful and loyal. They give a lot to the team and care deeply about the group's ability to accomplish its goals. Turnover tends to be quite low as transformational leaders are able to inspire a great deal of commitment in their followers.

In their classic text, Transformational Leadership, authors Bass and Riggio explained:

"Transformational leaders...are those who stimulate and inspire followers to both achieve extraordinary outcomes and, in the process, develop their own leadership capacity. Transformational leaders help followers grow and develop into leaders by responding to individual followers' needs by empowering them and by aligning the objectives and goals of the individual followers, the leader, the group, and the larger organization."

"Research evidence clearly shows that groups led by transformational leaders have higher levels of performance and satisfaction than groups led by other types of leaders," explained psychologist and leadership expert Ronald E. Riggio in an article for Psychology Today.

The reason, he suggests, is that transformational leaders believe that their followers can do their best, leading members of the group to feel inspired and empowered.

What can you do to become a more transformational leader? Leadership experts suggest that having a strong, positive vision of the future plays a critical role. Not only is it important to believe in this vision yourself; you've also got to inspire others to buy into your vision as well.

Link to Well-Being

According to the results of one study, this style of leadership can also have a positive influence on employee well-being.﻿﻿

The study published in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine involved surveying workers at several different German information and communication technology companies. Researchers asked participants to answers questions about their employer's leadership style.

A score for transformational leadership was then determined based on qualities such as providing intellectual stimulation, giving positive feedback for good performance, leading by example, and helping employees feel like they were making a contribution toward the goals of the group.

The researchers discovered that employees who identified a higher level of transformational leadership in their employers also had higher reported levels of well-being. The effect stayed significant even after researchers controlled for factors that are linked to well-being such as job strain, education, and age.

"The results of this study suggest that a transformational leadership style, which both conveys a sense of trust and meaningfulness and individually challenges and develops employees, also has a positive effect on employee well-being," the authors summarized.

Real-World Applications

So what impact could such results have for managers and workers?

The study's authors suggest that the results are important and can help companies develop leadership training programs that can be used to teach transformational leadership skills. Acquiring communication skills such as resolving conflicts in the workplace and recognizing the needs of employees are an important part of transformational leadership.

"Such training programs can be seen as another essential component of workplace health promotion and prevention efforts and therefore should receive wide support," explained the study's authors.

A Word From Verywell

The transformational style of leadership can be highly effective when used appropriately, but it might not necessarily be the best choice for every situation. In some cases, groups may require a more managerial or autocratic style that involves closer control and greater direction, particularly in situations where group member are unskilled and need a lot of oversight.

One way to improve your own leadership skills is to assess your own current leadership style and think about ways in which your strengths can benefit the group you are leading. By evaluating your own skills, you will be better able to play to your strengths and work on improving your areas of weakness.

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How Do Transformational Leaders Inspire and Motivate Followers?

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Have you ever been in a group where someone took control of the situation by conveying a clear vision of the group's goals, a marked passion for the work, and an ability to make the rest of the group feel recharged and energized? This person just might be what is called a transformational leader.

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This is a good overview of several different leadership styles

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What leadership style best describes you?

Read on for a more in-depth explanation about each style, famous figures who use it, and when it helps (or hinders) a business.

Style #1. Autocratic leadership: The commander

The first leadership style is one of the most well-known in the world - autocratic.

Autocratic leaders are defined by their my-way-or-the-highway mentality, which is extremely effective for accomplishing goals quickly.

The reason it works so well is because it sets a goal, establishes the methods to reach that goal, and sets people to work. There's no room for second-guessing or questioning, and a leader's orders efficiently travel down the chain of command.

That lets autocratic leaders accomplish their goals quickly. They thrive under that quick-moving versatility, and they seek to establish consistency and predictability. With all of those goals, it's easy to keep managers and workers on-task most of the time - they'll constantly have their hands full.

On the downside, full power in one person means it's easy for that person to abuse it. There's not much accountability on the leader's part, and if their only motive is profit, they'll do anything they can to get more.

Their single-minded mentality can also discourage ideas from their managers and workers, which consequently harms morale.

Still, the autocratic leader can simply get things done.

This may sound familiar to any readers who are veterans since the autocratic style is used by every military (and para-military organization) throughout the world. That's how General George S. Patton, who led US troops through Europe and the Mediterranean in World War II, fits into this paradigm.

The autocratic style also famously includes the wealthy, turn-of-the-century business magnates like John D. Rockefeller. Rockefeller and other magnates ruled their industries like Julius Caesar ruled Rome - clear objectives, clear paths to those objectives, and the sheer force of will to rally others behind him.

Granted, rallying people to your cause doesn't take much when you have 1.5% of the United States economy in your bank account. But everyone has to start somewhere - and Rockefeller started as a bookkeeper when he was 16.

However, the biggest reason that Patton and Rockefeller thrived with this leadership style is that they worked in an industry (military, big business) and time period (major war, "Robber Baron" era) when they didn't have to spend a ton of time thinking about abuse of power, creativity, or morale.

They set high standards for military and business leadership, and they're regarded as some of the best leaders to have existed.

And they did it by running a tight ship.

Style #2. Bureaucratic leadership: The administrator

Bureaucratic leadership is also a well-known style since everyone will encounter it at some point in their lives.

Bureaucratic leaders establish set systems of rules, steps, and record-keeping that must be followed in order for someone to do something.

People who have to go through those steps might refer to them as "red tape." To a bureaucratic leader, they're called "necessities."

To help with those necessities, bureaucratic leaders establish a clear hierarchy of leaders and task-completers who focus on getting something done right - not necessarily fast.

That structure establishes a system that's designed to repeat the same processes to get the same, consistent results. That system often looks like a checklist and lots of forms.

But, because this leadership style is so structured, it also constricts new thinking. Individual workers also don't get a lot of credit since they're a part of the system and bureaucratic leaders are focused on the results of that system - not the results of a person.

Over the long-term, workers can become discouraged working under a bureaucratic leader since there's little variety and wiggle room.

Pope Francis is probably the best-known bureaucratic in the world. His bureaucracy is the Catholic Church, which has a set ranking system of who's in charge, what they can do, and how they can do it.

The Church also has long lists of rules dictating how priests, bishops, cardinals, and other ranking workers can function in their role and help others.

Similarly, General Colin Powell worked within one of the most extensive bureaucracies in the world - the United States federal government - as the secretary of state.

In that position, Powell was required to advise the sitting president on all foreign policy issues, and he was also responsible for delegating the orders of the president (G. W. Bush) to the state department.

That combination advisor-delegator role means Powell needed the state department to operate in a familiar, repeatable, and results-oriented way so he could see the president's orders through to the end.

This style is similar to autocratic leadership, but it differs based on its obsession with repeating the same tasks to get the same results.

Autocratic leadership can be innovative, if the leader is willing to adapt. But bureaucratic leadership relies on an extensive system, and that means innovation is a lot less common.

Style #3. Charismatic leadership: The charmer

Charismatic leaders achieve power by offering themselves as part of their vision.

The pure power of their personalities is influence enough to earn the loyalty and dedication of their followers, and their palpable energy keeps everyone motivated and moving forward. The people who follow a charismatic leader are extraordinarily passionate compared to most other leadership styles.

That passion has lots of advantages. It keeps people working, unifies them around a common characteristic (the leader), and gives people a sense of accomplishment when they complete a task.

On the flip side, the leader is the focus of this style, so if anything happens to them, the whole organization crumbles.

There's also the risk of attracting "blind follower" team members, or people who like the leader but have nothing to offer.

Last - and most importantly - the people around a charismatic leader tend to idealize or romanticize that leader. That makes it hard for anyone to criticize or improve an existing structure because everyone wants to protect and achieve the leader's vision.

While some of Winston Churchill's photos may make him look surly or unapproachable, his charisma is almost as legendary as his leadership during World War II.

Churchill's speeches have gone down in history as some of the most moving and inspiring words ever spoken.

"Humanity will not be cast down. We are going on swinging bravely forward along the grand high road and already behind the distant mountains is the promise of the sun."

All told, Churchill's incredible words touched his country and helped get them through one of the most trying times in English history.

A more modern example of a charismatic leader is Arati Prabhakar, the current director of the United States Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).

Prabhakar first headed a federal office at 34 after studying at CalTech and Texas Tech. Since then, she's risen to the top of the government's foremost technology departments, flexing her extensive engineering expertise and noteworthy crowd-working skills whenever she's on camera.

Prabhakar may not have as many catchy soundbites as Churchill, but her approachability, modesty, and dedication to her occupation has led others in the defense field to note that "she's very charismatic."

Couple that with DARPA's extensive research into future tech, and it's clear that Prabhakar's ability to work a room is not just a formality - it's leadership.

Style #4. Democratic leadership: The motivator

Democratic leadership reflects a leader's interest in keeping everyone on a level playing field. Each person has a say in the direction of the company, and their input is based on merit instead of their standing.

That means democratic leadership requires a lot of motivation, collaboration, and cooperation. It advocates discussion and equal participation from all team members, and while there may be managers here and there, a worker's input is always valuable.

It's no wonder that democratic leadership often yields high employee morale as a result, which helps get outstanding results from individuals. It also maximizes fairness so people can be rewarded for going above and beyond.

On the flip side, democratic leadership is one of the slowest styles out there. Plus, since it establishes people as equals, it can be difficult to carve out exact roles for individuals. As a result, inefficiency can be high.

Christine Lagarde - the managing director of the International Monetary Fund - is one of the most public leaders to embrace the democratic style. As she frames it, her leadership style is deeply rooted in her personal beliefs.

"To me, leadership is about encouraging people... Others would call it a 'vision,' but I'd rather use 'purpose' because I think that everybody has a purpose in life and when collectively people work together... they have a joint purpose."

That kind of leadership is ideal for the head of the IMF, who's in charge of helping economically-impoverished areas. They need to make choices based on merit and urgency - not subjective qualities.

You can find another major proponent of democratic leadership in Indra Nooyi, the CEO of PepsiCo.

Nooyi is attempting to maintain PepsiCo's profitability in a society that's increasingly health-conscious, which isn't easy when the company's primary product is a soft drink.

But that doesn't stop her from being " a deeply caring person" who has even earned a reputation as "a caring CEO." That caring style (combined with her radical new vision for PepsiCo) keeps her open to new ideas, particularly those that have merit behind them, as opposed to a recognized boardroom favorite.

Style #5. Laissez-Faire leadership: The delegator

Laissez-faire leadership is based on the idea that people will do what you ask of them if you just let them do it their way.

This "hands-off" approach to business is based on the same base principle of laissez-faire economics - don't interfere.

That means these leaders delegate authority to experts in their companies, giving them the tools and resources to accomplish a task, but not a checklist. As a result, groups and team members are expected to solve problems on their own time - and in their own ways.

This freedom fosters lots of creativity and new ideas, on top of job satisfaction. Workers are free to determine the best methods to solve any problem that comes their way.

But laissez-faire leadership isn't all sunshine and roses. There's a huge lack of accountability on the part of the worker since no one regularly checks in on what they're doing.

It also lacks the ability to mentor "rising stars" in a company, so you could miss out on a lot of talented individuals working in upper-managerial or C-level positions.

Last, there's a huge potential for poor time management and individual inefficiency. That's not to say workers under this style would exploit their freedom - it just takes longer to think of new solutions than to re-use tried-and-true methods.

Warren Buffett is probably the most famous proponent of this leadership style. While he may have some micro-management characteristics here and there, he leads managers and workers without telling them exactly what to do.

As a result, Berkshire Hathaway (among other companies) has become a major national brand. That level of recognition and profitability comes straight from Buffett's willingness to let other people try new ideas - even if they're a little risky.

Donna Karan - the founder of DKNY - created a fashion powerhouse with her own designs. As her company grew and profited, she loosened her grip on her own company, and now it's thriving.

It's actually hard to find a place in the United States that doesn't have at least one person wearing something from DKNY.

Whether it was one of Karan's designs or someone else's, it doesn't matter - the point is that her company is succeeding, and she doesn't have to micro-manage.

Style #6. Servant leadership: The steward

Servant leadership is uncommon in business and politics - but it's very common in the general public.

Servant leadership is the idea that leading and serving is exactly the same. You're a leader because people expect something from you, and it's up to you to deliver that expectation.

That means people who practice servant leadership focus on the people who made them a leader. They foster a goal-driven community around them, and they value that community on a personal level.

This style builds strong, close-knit, and motivated teams who can take action, and they all focus on some part of the big picture problem that needs to be solved. Best of all, this leadership style has a huge potential to inspire both workers and managers, bringing people closely together to achieve a goal.

On the other hand, servant leadership is heavily based on loyalty and trust, both of which take a long time to establish. Plus, if either of those is broken, the community as a whole could cut and run.

This style also focuses on the big-picture almost too much, meaning it can be hard to define exact roles or structures for those involved.

And, naturally, this style requires an existing system to change or fix. If there's not already an existing problem, it's hard to find a successful servant-style leader.

Finally, the biggest drawbacks of this leadership style is that it almost always creates major controversies. That may not always be a bad thing - in fact, controversy is almost essential to change.

But the problem is that controversy can lead to violence, particularly directed at a leader. As a result, servant leaders have an exceptionally high risk of assassination.

Style #7. Transactional leadership: The standardizer

Transactional leadership is based upon establishing a status quo, rewarding those who participate in it, and punishing those who don't.

The aim of transactional leadership is to establish regularity and consistency through that reward-punishment paradigm, and it's worked for a lot of different leaders.

The style tends to focus on managers, people who can enforce the status quo, and promotes following the rules. The ultimate goal is to establish a status quo that works and protect it, similar to bureaucracy.

However, unlike bureaucracy, the status quo of transactional leadership can relate to personal standards, beliefs, and other highly-personal traits.

Ultimately, transactional leadership achieves short-term goals quickly. It also lays out rewards and punishments clearly, and rewards those who follow the status quo the most.

But transactional leadership also limits creativity because of its strict rules and regulations. That also makes it oppose change, and it can punish outside-the-box thinkers who want to shake things up.

Senator Joseph McCarthy is one of America's most famous transactional leaders. During his time in office, he was the heart of the communist panic in the United States, and he accused countless public figures of associations with communism.

That accusation may not carry a lot of weight today, but it did during the Cold War. Just like the Salem Witch Trials, an accusation that you were a communist was enough to blacklist you and keep you from living a normal American life.

In this scenario, McCarthy established the status quo for most of the United States, and those who deviated from his strict definitions of democracy and capitalism were publicly punished.

In the corporate world, Alan Sugar (AKA "Lord Sugar") is well-known for setting strict rules in his companies. His strategy has turned him into a business magnate, reality TV star, and author.

His company - Amstrad - is a leading British electronics company that he founded in 1968. It's somewhat small with only 85 employees as of 2005, but it earns millions every year.

Style #8. Transformational leadership: The inspirer

Finally, we have transformational leadership, which aims to inspire its followers.

Transformational leadership is similar to servant leadership in that it refuses established confines or rules. As a result, it seeks out new ideas instead. Organizations that operate under this style shoot to be the first to do something major in their industries.

That means transformational leadership accepts new ideas readily. It also promotes disciplined and free-thinking teams, all of which are managed by a motivated, focused team leader.

Unfortunately, transformational leadership has some major drawbacks.

For one, its natural refusal of established standards means it conflicts directly with other leadership styles, especially bureaucracy. And, like servant leadership, it requires an existing system to change or fix.

Finally - and most dangerously - high-risk ideas have the potential to destroy organizations if they fail. And because transformational leadership is based on new ideas, there will certainly be a few that flop.

H. Ross Perot, who many may remember for his 1996 presidential campaign, is a transformational leader.

Perot founded a business called Electric Data Systems that serviced computers developed by other companies. He gave permission to his field technicians to do whatever they had to do to please the customer, which sometimes meant going above and beyond.

With a predilection toward excellence and a growing base of happy customers, Perot's company thrived under his slogan: "Go, do."

Nelson Mandela is another transformational leader, but for very different reasons.

Mandela rose to prominence in his opposition to apartheid - institutionalized racism - in South Africa. Rallying against that paradigm, Mandela became a prominent figure and, eventually, president.

His personality and administration threw out the old ideas of disenfranchisement and instead embraced compassion, generosity, and togetherness.

He suffered for his cause before becoming president, living 27 years of his life as a political prisoner, and became an icon for forgiveness in a country torn to shreds in anger.

Determining your leadership style

Which of these leadership styles sounds like it fits you? Do you know anyone who fits into these paradigms?

Post your own thoughts on your infographic with our handy embed code in the sidebar, and let us know what you think on Facebook and Twitter!

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Read on for a more in-depth explanation about each style, famous figures who use it, and when it helps (or hinders) a business. The first leadership style is one of the most well-known in the world - autocratic. Autocratic leaders are defined by their my-way-or-the-highway mentality, which is extremely effective for accomplishing goals quickly.

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This brochure explains three aspects of teacher leadership

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This brochure explains three aspects of teacher leadership

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These include instructional, association and policy leadership.

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Dr. Brene Brown

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Review of E.I. in leadership with practical ideas.

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Review of E.I. in leadership with practical ideas.

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The more that you, as a leader, manage each of these areas, the higher your emotional intelligence. So, let's look at each element in more detail and examine how you can grow as a leader.

Emotional Intelligence in Leadership

1. Self-awareness

If you're self-aware, you always know how you feel, and you know how your emotions and your actions can affect the people around you. Being self-aware when you're in a leadership position also means having a clear picture of your strengths and weaknesses, and it means behaving with humility.

So, what can you do to improve your self-awareness?

Keep a journal. Journals help you improve your self-awareness. If you spend just a few minutes each day writing down your thoughts, this can move you to a higher degree of self-awareness.

2. Self-regulation

Leaders who regulate themselves effectively rarely verbally attack others, make rushed or emotional decisions, stereotype people, or compromise their values. Self-regulation is all about staying in control.

This element of emotional intelligence, according to Goleman, also covers a leader's flexibility and commitment to personal accountability.

So, how can you improve your ability to self-regulate?

Hold yourself accountable. If you tend to blame others when something goes wrong, stop. Make a commitment to admit to your mistakes and to face the consequences, whatever they are. You'll probably sleep better at night, and you'll quickly earn the respect of those around you.

Practice being calm. The next time you're in a challenging situation, be very aware of how you act. Do you relieve your stress by shouting at someone else? Practice deep-breathing exercises to calm yourself. Also, try to write down all of the negative things you want to say, and then rip it up and throw it away. Expressing these emotions on paper (and not showing them to anyone!) is better than speaking them aloud to your team. What's more, this helps you challenge your reactions to ensure that they're fair!

3. Motivation

Self-motivated leaders work consistently toward their goals, and they have extremely high standards for the quality of their work.

How can you improve your motivation?

Re-examine why you're doing your job. It's easy to forget what you really love about your career. So, take some time to remember why you wanted this job. If you're unhappy in your role and you're struggling to remember why you wanted it, try the Five Whys technique to find the root of the problem. Starting at the root often helps you look at your situation in a new way. And make sure that your goal statements are fresh and energizing. For more on this, see our article on Goal Setting.

4. Empathy

For leaders, having empathy is critical to managing a successful team or organization. Leaders with empathy have the ability to put themselves in someone else's situation. They help develop the people on their team, challenge others who are acting unfairly, give constructive feedback, and listen to those who need it.

If you want to earn the respect and loyalty of your team, then show them you care by being empathic.

How can you improve your empathy?

Respond to feelings. You ask your assistant to work late - again. And although he agrees, you can hear the disappointment in his voice. So, respond by addressing his feelings. Tell him you appreciate how willing he is to work extra hours, and that you're just as frustrated about working late. If possible, figure out a way for future late nights to be less of an issue (for example, give him Monday mornings off).

5. Social Skills

Leaders who do well in the social skills element of emotional intelligence are great communicators. They're just as open to hearing bad news as good news, and they're experts at getting their team to support them and be excited about a new mission or project.

Leaders who have good social skills are also good at managing change and resolving conflicts diplomatically. They're rarely satisfied with leaving things as they are, but they don't sit back and make everyone else do the work: they set an example with their own behavior.

So, how can you build social skills?

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Emotional Intelligence in Leadership - Learning How to Be More Aware

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Relating to others is vital in today's workplace. Learn how to build your emotional intelligence (EI) with this article.

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Can be combined with transformational leadership to serve students.

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While servant leadership is a timeless concept, the phrase "servant leadership" was coined by Robert K. Greenleaf in The Servant as Leader, an essay that he first published in 1970. In that essay, Greenleaf said:

"The servant-leader is servant first... It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first. Then conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead. That person is sharply different from one who is leader first, perhaps because of the need to assuage an unusual power drive or to acquire material possessions...The leader-first and the servant-first are two extreme types. Between them there are shadings and blends that are part of the infinite variety of human nature.

"The difference manifests itself in the care taken by the servant-first to make sure that other people's highest priority needs are being served. The best test, and difficult to administer, is: Do those served grow as persons? Do they, while being served, become healthier, wiser, freer, more autonomous, more likely themselves to become servants? And, what is the effect on the least privileged in society? Will they benefit or at least not be further deprived?"

A servant-leader focuses primarily on the growth and well-being of people and the communities to which they belong. While traditional leadership generally involves the accumulation and exercise of power by one at the "top of the pyramid," servant leadership is different. The servant-leader shares power, puts the needs of others first and helps people develop and perform as highly as possible.

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What is Servant Leadership? - Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership

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While servant leadership is a timeless concept, the phrase "servant leadership" was coined by Robert K. Greenleaf in The Servant as Leader, an essay that he first published in 1970. In that essay, Greenleaf said: "The servant-leader is servant first... It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first.

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Just a reminder of how counselors serve as leaders in schools.

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Just a reminder of how counselors serve as leaders in schools.

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School counselors are uniquely equipped to bridge the gaps between administration, teachers, parents, and students. As the demands placed on everyone in a school community increase, it's vital that we view and include school counselors as part of our leadership teams. Let's make sure we recognize all they do and put their strengths to work for our students! Here are 11 ways school counselors serve as leaders in your building.

1. School counselors recognize and showcase diversity.

In many buildings, school counselors are considered the "heart" of the school. They help create an inclusive environment that is respectful, welcoming, kind, and open to all.

2. School counselors develop community partnerships.

Counseling staff work collaboratively with universities, community colleges, technical schools, local unions, military reps, and apprentice programs to provide a variety of opportunities for students. They are especially vital in ensuring underserved and first-generation students have access to and the tools to reach all possible post-high school options.

3. School counselors help during difficult situations.

Strengths such as listening, reflecting, and high emotional intelligence make school counselors valuable allies when trying to get buy-in from staff or the greater community on difficult issues. Counselors foster a culture of change via strong lines of communication and valuing input from all parties involved.

4. School counselors maintain strong home-school connections.

Counselors tend to be the liaison for parents when it comes to communicating with the school. This leadership role is especially important when assisting families who are not familiar with the school setting or have issues trusting staff.

5. School counselors maximize educational success.

School counselors can help to maximize the educational attainment of all students by providing students with mental health services (school or community-based) and developmental guidance that takes a proactive approach in helping students set and reach academic goals.

6. School counselors lead staff trainings.

Administrators who use their counseling staff (rather than outside contractors) to lead building-wide trainings can save a lot of money and gain quicker buy-in from staff. School counselors are experts on topics such as student engagement, positive discipline, suicide/self-harm, students-as-leaders, peer mentoring programs, and academic/social interventions for low-performing students.

7. School counselors protect and advocate for disadvantaged students.

Counselors identify and amend policies and practices that negatively impact disadvantaged students and advocate for equitable services for all students.

8. School counselors use expertise to bring data to life.

Like administrators, counselors are trained in data collection and analysis. They are skilled at using this information to drive decisions about placement, intervention, and overall student health and wellbeing.

9. School counselors mediate difficult situations between parents/students and staff.

Counselors are consistently looking for ways to support the relationship between school staff and parents. Acting as a mediator when one or both parties are upset about a situation is a critical way in which school counselors serve as leaders.

10. School counselors organize and lead crisis response.

Counselors are on the front lines after a tragedy has happened in a school or community. Staff, students, parents, and community members look to the counselors for guidance and support immediately following an event. Because of their training in emotional/mental, the counseling staff is critical in advocating for and teaching self-care to staff, parents, and students during a crisis.

11. School counselors empower and inspire.

School counselors inherently believe in people and work tirelessly to communicate that. By being visible and accessible at all times, their calming, caring, and encouraging presence helps support and empower staff in the building.

School counselors serve as leaders in many ways and we need to value their perspectives and strengths. They are vital to building positive learning environments in which students thrive.
Join our Facebook group Principal Life for more conversation about and insights into the challenges of school leadership.

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11 Ways Your School Counselors Serve as Leaders - WeAreTeachers

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School counselors are uniquely equipped to bridge the gaps between administration, teachers, parents, and students. As the demands placed on everyone in a school community increase, it's vital that we view and include school counselors as part of our leadership teams. Let's make sure we recognize all they do and put their strengths to work for our students!

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For a day when things do not go your way....

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For a day when things do not go your way....

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"Everything can be taken from a man but the last of human freedoms - the ability to choose one's attitude in a given set of circumstances, to choose one's way." Viktor Frankl, "Man's Search for Meaning."

Controlling Emotions in the Workplace

We've all been in one of "those" situations before. You know... when your favorite project is canceled after weeks of hard work; when a customer snaps at you unfairly; when your best friend (and co-worker) is laid off suddenly; or your boss assigns you more work when you're already overloaded.

In your personal life, your reaction to stressful situations like these might be to start shouting, or to go hide in a corner and feel sorry for yourself for a while. But at work, these types of behavior could seriously harm your professional reputation, as well as your productivity.

Stressful situations are all too common in a workplace that's facing budget cuts, staff layoffs, and department changes. It may become harder and harder to manage your emotions under these circumstances, but it's even more important for you to do so.

After all, if management is forced into making more layoffs, they may choose to keep those who can handle their emotions, and work well under pressure. No matter what the situation is, you're always free to choose how you react to it.

So, how can you become better at handling your emotions, and "choosing" your reactions to bad situations? In this article, we look at the most common negative emotions experienced in the workplace - and how you can manage them productively.

Why are we focusing only on negative emotions? Well, most people don't need strategies for managing their positive emotions. After all, feelings of joy, excitement, compassion, or optimism usually don't affect others in a negative way. As long as you share positive emotions constructively and professionally, they're great to have in the workplace!

Common Negative Emotions at Work

In 1997, Bond University professor of management Cynthia Fisher conducted a study called " Emotions at Work: What Do People Feel, and How Should We Measure It?"

According to Fisher's research, the most common negative emotions experienced in the workplace are as follows:

Frustration/irritation.

Worry/nervousness.

Anger/aggravation.

Dislike.

Disappointment/unhappiness.

From " Emotions at Work: What Do People Feel and How Should we Measure it?" by Cynthia D. Fisher. School of Business Discussion Paper; No. 63, February 1997. © Copyright Cynthia D. Fisher and the School of Business, Bond University.

How to Manage Emotions at Work

Below are different strategies you can use to help you deal with each of these negative emotions.

Frustration/Irritation

Frustration usually occurs when you feel stuck or trapped, or unable to move forward in some way. It could be caused by a colleague blocking your favorite project, a boss who is too disorganized to get to your meeting on time, or simply being on hold on the phone for a long time.

Whatever the reason, it's important to deal with feelings of frustration quickly, because they can easily lead to more negative emotions, such as anger.

Here are some suggestions for dealing with frustration:

Stop and evaluate - One of the best things you can do is mentally stop yourself, and look at the situation. Ask yourself why you feel frustrated. Write it down, and be specific. Then think of one positive thing about your current situation. For instance, if your boss is late for your meeting, then you have more time to prepare. Or, you could use this time to relax a little.

Find something positive about the situation - Thinking about a positive aspect of your situation often makes you look at things in a different way. This small change in your thinking can improve your mood. When it's people who are causing your frustration, they're probably not doing it deliberately to annoy you. And if it's a thing that's bothering you - well, it's certainly not personal! Don't get mad, just move on.

Remember the last time you felt frustrated - The last time you were frustrated about something, the situation probably worked out just fine after a while, right? Your feelings of frustration or irritation probably didn't do much to solve the problem then, which means they're not doing anything for you right now.

Worry/Nervousness

With all the fear and anxiety that comes with increasing numbers of layoffs, it's no wonder that many people worry about their jobs. But this worry can easily get out of control, if you allow it, and this can impact not only your mental health, but also your productivity, and your willingness to take risks at work.

Try these tips to deal with worrying:

Don't surround yourself with worry and anxiety - For example, if co-workers gather in the break room to gossip and talk about job cuts, then don't go there and worry with everyone else. Worrying tends to lead to more worrying, and that isn't good for anyone.

Try deep-breathing exercises - This helps to slow your breathing and your heart rate. For a guide to trying it for yourself, read our article on Physical Relaxation Techniques.

Focus on how to improve the situation - If you fear being laid off, and you sit there and worry, that probably won't help you keep your job. Instead, why not brainstorm ways to bring in more business, and show how valuable you are to the company?

When you're worried and nervous about something, it can dent your self-confidence. Read our article on Building Self-Confidence to make sure this doesn't happen. Also, don't let your worries get in the way of being appropriately assertive.

Anger Management at Work

Out-of-control anger is perhaps the most destructive emotion that people experience in the workplace. It's also the emotion that most of us don't handle very well. If you have trouble managing your temper at work, then learning to control it is one of the best things you can do if you want to keep your job.

Try these suggestions to control your anger:

Watch for early signs of anger - Only you know the danger signs when anger is building, so learn to recognize them when they begin. Stopping your anger early is key. Remember, you can choose how you react in a situation. Just because your first instinct is to become angry doesn't mean it's the correct response.

If you start to get angry, stop what you're doing - Close your eyes, and practice the deep-breathing exercise we described earlier. This interrupts your angry thoughts, and it helps put you back on a more positive path.

Picture yourself when you're angry - If you imagine how you look and behave while you're angry, it gives you some perspective on the situation. For instance, if you're about to shout at your co-worker, imagine how you would look. Is your face red? Are you waving your arms around? Would you want to work with someone like that? Probably not.

To find out more about managing your anger at work, take our self-test How Good Is Your Anger Management? Also, read Dealing with Unfair Criticism and Anger Management.

Dislike

We've probably all had to work with someone we don't like. But it's important to be professional, no matter what.

Here are some ideas for working with people you dislike:

Be respectful - If you have to work with someone you don't get along with, then it's time to set aside your pride and ego. Treat the person with courtesy and respect, as you would treat anyone else. Just because this person behaves in an unprofessional manner, that doesn't mean you should as well.

Be assertive - If the other person is rude and unprofessional, then firmly explain that you refuse to be treated that way, and calmly leave the situation. Remember, set the example.

To learn more about handling dislike in the workplace, please see our articles on Working With People You Don't Like, Dealing With Difficult People and Egos at Work.

Disappointment/Unhappiness

Dealing with disappointment or unhappiness at work can be difficult. Of all the emotions you might feel at work, these are the most likely to impact your productivity. If you've just suffered a major disappointment, your energy will probably be low, you might be afraid to take another risk, and all of that may hold you back from achieving.

Here are some proactive steps you can take to cope with disappointment and unhappiness:

Look at your mindset - Take a moment to realize that things won't always go your way. If they did, life would be a straight road instead of one with hills and valleys, ups and downs, right? And it's the hills and valleys that often make life so interesting.

Adjust your goal - If you're disappointed that you didn't reach a goal, that doesn't mean the goal is no longer reachable. Keep the goal, but make a small change - for example, delay the deadline. Our Back On Track article provides practical steps for recovering from a major career setback.

Record your thoughts - Write down exactly what is making you unhappy. Is it a co-worker? Is it your job? Do you have too much to do? Once you identify the problem, start brainstorming ways to solve it or work around it. Remember, you always have the power to change your situation.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a "worry log"?

If you find that worries are churning around inside your mind, write them down in a notebook or "worry log," and then schedule a time to deal with them. Before that time, you can forget about these worries, knowing that you'll deal with them. When it comes to the time you've scheduled, conduct a proper risk analysis around these things, and take whatever actions are necessary to mitigate any risks.
How do you use "deep breathing"?
Here's a simple technique to try. Breathe in slowly through your nose for five seconds, then breathe out slowly through your mouth for five seconds. Focus on your breathing, and nothing else. Do this at least five times, and see whether it has a positive impact on how you feel.
Does smiling help?
Strange as it may sound, forcing a smile onto your face can often make you feel happier (this is one of the strange ways in which we humans are "wired.") Try it - you may be surprised!

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Managing Your Emotions at Work - Controlling Your Feelings... Before They Control You

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Learn how to manage your emotions at work constructively, whether you experience frustration, irritation, worry, anger, dislike or unhappiness.

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A Preview of the 6 Emotional Styles of Leadership.  What is your style ?

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A Preview of the 6 Emotional Styles of Leadership.  What is your style ?

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what type of leader are you? #infographic

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visualistan: what type of leader are you? #infographic

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What Type of Leader Are You? #Infographic

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Everyone has their own built-in approach to leading others. Do you know what yours is? According to Goleman, Boyatzis and McKee, there are 6 emotional leadership styles. Answer the questions to get to know your go-to leadership style.

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Nice bosses are better !  I have had both and hands down- Nice wins ! Read this article to confirm.

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Nice bosses are better !  I have had both and hands down- Nice wins ! Read this article to confirm.