[October 12, 2018] Napoléon Bonaparte wrote these famous words more than 200 years ago; “a true man hates no one.” As the General of the Army and Emperor of the French, he understood that to make decisions under the influence of one’s emotions will mark you as unreliable, unpredictable, and ultimately unfit for any high office.
Not surprisingly, he thought that the character traits of a leader would predict the performance of that person in all affairs; war, politics, etc. If a leader possesses values which are abominations to his peoples, according to Bonaparte, he will inevitably involve himself in bad acts. Likewise, those who perform good acts are those whose principles direct them appropriately.
Bonaparte was known for his great success on the battlefield and in politics. His secret to success was why he stood out from his enemies and he did so because he was never motivated by fear of the enemy, a lust for glory (although many will disagree), or envy of political elites. He knew that to be a leader meant pushing aside emotion and embracing cold, calculated, serious thinking.
When leaders follow their emotions, the outcome is often not very pretty. I wrote about this several times and reinforced it by example (see links here, here, and here). Passion is an emotion and does give us a strong motivator and essential for good leadership … but also for evil. Generally speaking, our emotions drive us to take unnecessary risks in our decision making; ones that we should have considered more carefully.
Leaders, be aware of the trap of using your emotions when making key decisions. My maternal grandmother (“Bigmama”) gave me some great unsolicited advice. She said, when making a big decision, sleep on it. The next morning things may appear different, she told me. And they usually do.
I highly recommend those interested to read this article.
“Emotions and Leadership: The Role of Emotional Intelligence” by Jennifer M. George
http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0018726700538001
Agreed!!! Takeaway quote “This paper suggests that feelings (moods and emotions) play a central role in the leadership process. “
I coach a HS football team. One of the best pieces of advice that I am constantly giving is that allowing your emotions to determine how you play does not usually have a positive outcome. Games are to be played methodically and carefully scripted. Emotion, other than furnishing drive, is counterproductive.
Good point Mr. Asper.
🙂 I agree with your comment and second it. The more we realize the part that emotions play, the better.
The role of emotional intelligence is a new area of study. Some good insights as shown in this article.
http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0018726700538001
“Emotional” leadership styles: http://changingminds.org/disciplines/leadership/styles/six_emotional_styles.htm
Interesting take on it.
Not a new area but recently a lot is written about it. Good article.
I have discovered that certain emotions do in fact get in the way of getting things done. For example, I get mad about things not going according to plan and tend to jump in and do what others should be doing. That stretches me too thin and thus not able to do all that I’m supposed to do. Emotion, in this case, is a disadvantage.
Too many people think leadership is about control. In fact, great leaders inspire and then get out of the way.
Perhaps leadership is about emotion and is not so much a detriment as a motivator. Learning to have the proper control is what makes all the difference.
There are many who believe that emotion is what leadership is all about. They have a point. Perhaps it is the balance of emotions that make for great leaders.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/meghanbiro/2013/12/15/leadership-is-about-emotion/#6c0a0ca42d3f
Another good article on emotion by Gen. Satterfield that I especially liked.
https://www.theleadermaker.com/when-leaders-follow-their-emotions/
Napoleon is an underrated man. He was one smart dude and so thanks for building your article around one of his main quotes. The French may disagree but Napoleon Bonaparte helped France at a time of crisis and led them to where they are today.
I agree. This is a part of history we generally ignore.
Good comment.
Hey Gen. Satterfield. Very good article today. Thanks.
You may regret what your emotions push you to do. But humans are born with free will and thus have the logical ability to make reasonable decisions despite what our emotions tell us what to do.
I know that I’ve regreted many behaviors of mine after following my emotions. However, remember that emotions have a good side too; they motivate.
Excellent point. Thanks Janna.
Very true. Hate is the emotion of nonprofessionals.