When Management Get's Mad...

A few weeks ago I received an email from someone discussing an instance in which they were yelled at by their manager, in front of coworkers.  The highly embarrassing wrath unleashed by their boss included a few four-letter words and a couple of things being slammed on their desk.  Apparently, the entire episode was caused by a miscommunication.

The person further explained that while it was common knowledge throughout the office that this manager wouldn’t necessarily be characterized as mild-tempered, this particular verbal lashing seemed especially harsh.

We’re human so naturally when someone or something makes us mad, we’re probably going to react. And holding a leadership position at work doesn’t mean we stop being human.  It does mean however, that we should consider how our reactions might impact others...specifically those we’re leading.  

Being in a leadership role or having direct reports doesn’t mean you have to communicate as if you were a writer for Hallmark.  And let’s face it - when it comes to work, things aren’t always sunshine and roses.  Issues arise; errors are made; deadlines are missed; expectations aren’t met; there are miscommunications; crises occur; etc.

Here's the thing.  Anybody can yell and point fingers when something goes wrong...that’s the easy part.  But, long after the issue has been resolved and tempers have stopped flaring, what’s left in the minds of employees is how their leadership handled a problem.  After all, it’s the difficult situations that create opportunities to show true leadership.