How successful leaders use anger to be more effective at work

Nobody wants to be viewed as the angry guy at work.

Getting too angry too often can negatively affect your relationships with colleagues, as well as your health and well-being.

But we all get heated at some point, and it’s important to channel your anger in a positive way.

If channeled effectively, anger can improve productivity, communication, and sound mental health, according to clinical psychologist Bret Moore, who wrote on the topic for Psychology Today. Specifically, feeling angry is a sign that something went wrong and must be changed. It can provide you with the motivation to do better.

There’s a fine line between communicating aggressively and communicating assertively, and it’s important to learn how to do the latter, Moore writes.

Assertive communicators don’t hesitate or shy away from stating their views, but they do it in a way that’s respectful of others.

The first step to maintaining your composure when your blood’s boiling is to simply acknowledge that you’re angry. This is likely the hardest part, Moore says, but once you do, you can take a minute to cool down and think about what you want to say.

Then, as with delivering any serious message, practice what you want to say and how you want to say it. Using appropriate body language and tone is one of the seven critical communication skills highlighted by workplace communication expert Skip Weisman. Maintaining eye contact and normal volume and not pointing your fingers helps to project assertiveness rather than aggression.

While it’s important to come off as reasonable, it’s still key to maintain the passion and fire that made you angry in the first place. After all, you want to make your point and communicate what you need.

This article is published in collaboration with Business Insider. Publication does not imply endorsement of views by the World Economic Forum.

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Author: Steven writes for the strategy vertical at Business Insider. 

Image: Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. REUTERS.