CHAPTER 5
Leadership Mind and Emotion
Chapter Outline
Leading with Head and Heart
Mental Models
Developing a Leader’s Mind
Emotional Intelligence
Leading with Love versus Leading with Fear
In the Lead
Hollywood Studios
John Harbaugh, Baltimore Ravens, and Jim Harbaugh, San Francisco 49ers
Akshay Kothari and Ankit Gupta, Pulse News
Leader’s Self-Insight
Summary and Interpretation
Leaders use emotional as well as intellectual capabilities and understandings to guide organizations
through a turbulent environment and help people feel energized, motivated, and cared for in the face of
rapid change, uncertainty, and job insecurity. Leaders can expand the capacities of their minds and
hearts through conscious development and practice.
Your Leadership Challenge
After reading this chapter, you should be able to:
• Recognize how mental models guide your behavior and relationships.
• Engage in independent thinking by staying mentally alert, thinking critically, and being
Key Terms and Concepts
Mental models: theories people hold about specific systems in the world and their expected
behavior.
Global mindset: the ability of managers to appreciate and influence individuals, groups,
organizations, and systems that represent different social, cultural, political, institutional,
intellectual, or psychological characteristics.
Independent thinking: questioning assumptions and interpreting data and events according to one’s
own beliefs, ideas, and thinking, rather than pre-established rules or categories defined by others.
Emotional intelligence: a person’s abilities to perceive, identify, understand, and successfully
manage emotions in self and others.
Empathy: being able to put yourself in someone else’s shoes.
Introduction
As Lieutenant Colonel Howard Olson surveys the crowd before him, he knows that most of the
people in the room outrank him. Still, Olson opens his talk with the following statement: “Each
and every one of you has something that makes you a jerk…. Some of you have more than one. I
know. I’ve talked to you.”
Annotated Lecture/Outline
I. Leading with Head and Heart
To succeed in today’s environment requires whole leaders who use both their head and their heart.
They have to use their head to tend to organizational issues such as goals and strategies, production
schedules, structure, finances, operational issues, and so forth. They also have to use their heart to tend
to human issues, such as understanding, supporting, and developing others.
Current issues that require leaders to use both head and heart include::
• How to give people a sense of meaning and purpose when major changes occur almost daily
New Leader Action Memo: As a leader, you can lead with both head and heart. You can expand
the capacity of your mind, emotions, and spirit by consciously engaging in activities that use
aspects of the whole self.
Discussion Question #2: What does it mean to be a whole leader as described in the chapter?
Can you give an example from your experience? Discuss.
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Leadership Challenge #1: Recognize how mental models that guide your behavior and
relationships.
II. Mental Models
A mental model can be thought of as an internal picture that affects a leader’s thoughts, actions, and
Exhibit 5.1: Elements of a System
An accurate mental model helps a leader understand how to arrange the key elements in these
systems to get the desired outcome.
New Leader Action Memo: As a leader, you can become aware of your mental models and how they
affect your thinking and behavior. You can learn to regard your assumptions as temporary ideas and
strive to expand your mind-set.
Leaders have many mental models that tend to govern how they interpret experiences and how
they act in response to people and situations.
Exhibit 5.2: Google Leaders’ Mental Model
Leaders at Google, as well as other organizations, create mental models aligned with
organizational needs, goals, and values. A leader’s assumptions shape his or her mental model,
A. Assumptions
Leaders may have two very different sets of attitudes and assumptions about subordinates,
called Theory X and Theory Y and these assumptions affect leader behavior. A leader who
assumes that people can’t be trusted will act very differently in a situation than a leader who has
B. Changing or Expanding Mental Models
In a world of rapid and discontinuous change, the greatest factor determining the success of
leaders and organizations may be the ability to change or expand one’s mental models.
Organizations are vulnerable when leaders stick with obsolete mental models in the face of new
realities.
In the Lead: Hollywood Studios
Hollywood films have long been quintessentially American products, and years ago audiences in
Japan or Brazil or South Korea would faithfully go watch movies that were written for and
marketed primarily to American audiences. Times have changed. Local films in other countries are
Discussion Question #3: Why is it so hard for people to change their assumptions? What are some
specific reasons leaders need to be aware of these mental models?
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Leadership Challenge #2: Engage in independent thinking by staying mentally alert, thinking
critically, and being mindful rather than mindless.
III. Developing a Leader’s Mind
The leader’s mind can be developed in four areas—independent thinking, open-mindedness,
A. Independent Thinking
Independent thinking means questioning assumptions and interpreting data and events
according to one’s own beliefs, ideas, and thinking, not according to pre-established rules,
When leaders think critically, they:
• Question all assumptions
New Leader Action Memo: Evaluate your skill in three dimensions of mindfulness, including
intellectual stimulation, by completing the exercise in Leader’s Self-Insight 5.1.
Good leaders also encourage followers to be mindful rather than mindless. Bernard Bass, who
has studied charismatic and transformational leadership, talks about the value of intellectual
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Leadership Challenge #3: Break out of categorized thinking patterns and open your mind to new
ideas and multiple perspectives.
B. Open Mindedness
The power of conditioning that limits our thinking and behavior is illustrated by what has been
called the Pike Syndrome.
• In an experiment, a northern pike is placed in one half of a large glass-divided aquarium,
with numerous minnows placed in the other half.
When people assume they have complete knowledge of a situation because of past experiences,
they exhibit the Pike Syndrome, a trained incapacity that comes from rigid commitment to what
was true in the past and an inability to consider alternatives and different perspectives.
New Leader Action Memo: As a leader, you can train yourself to think independently. You can be
curious, keep an open mind, and look at a problem or situation from multiple perspectives before
reaching your conclusions.
In contrast to the expert mind, the beginner’s mind reflects the openness and innocence of a
young child just learning about the world. Effective leaders strive to keep open minds and
cultivate an organizational environment that encourages curiosity and learning.
Discussion Question #4: Discuss the similarities and differences between mental models and
open- mindedness.
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Leadership Challenge #4: Begin to apply systems thinking, and personal mastery to your
activities at school or work.
C. Systems Thinking
Systems thinking is the ability to see the synergy of the whole rather than just the separate
elements of a system and to learn to reinforce or change whole system patterns. Many people
have been trained to solve problems by breaking a complex system into discrete parts and
Exhibit 5.3: Systems Thinking and Circles of Causality
New Leader Action Memo: As a leader, you can cultivate an ability to analyze and understand
the relationships among parts of a team, organization, or other system to avoid making changes
that have unintended negative consequences.
Discussion question #10: Think about the class for which you are reading this text as a system.
How might making changes without whole-systems thinking cause problems for students?
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D. Personal Mastery
Another concept introduced by Senge is personal mastery. Personal Mastery means mastering
yourself in a way that facilitates your leadership and achieves desired results. Mastering oneself
embodies three qualities:
• Clarity of mind—means a commitment to the truth of current reality.
Discussion Question #5: What is the concept of personal mastery? How important is it to a
leader?
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Leadership Challenge #5: Exercise emotional intelligence, including being self-aware, managing
your emotions, motivating yourself, displaying empathy, and managing relationships.
IV. Emotional Intelligence
Psychologists and other researchers, as well as people in all walks of life, have long recognized the
importance of cognitive intelligence, or IQ, in determining a person’s success and effectiveness.
Increasingly, leaders and researchers are recognizing the critical importance of emotional
intelligence, or EQ, as well.
A. What Are Emotions?
An important ability for leaders is to understand the range of emotions people have and how
these emotions manifest themselves.
Exhibit 5.4: Positive and Negative Emotions
The primary emotions and some of their variations are as follows:
• Anger—fury, outrage, frustration, exasperation, indignation, etc.
• Sadness—grief, sorrow, gloom, melancholy, self-pity, etc.
• Relief—release, reassurance, ease, contentment, etc.
A key component of leadership is being emotionally connected to others and understanding
how emotions affect working relationships and performance.
B. Why Are Emotions Important?
Exhibit 5.5: Emotional Intelligence and Earning Power
Leaders who harness and direct the power of emotions to improve followers’ satisfaction,
morale, and motivation get better results and enhance overall organizational effectiveness.
Emotions Are Contagious
The emotional state of the leader influences the entire team, department, or organization. The
emotional contagion means that leaders who are able to maintain balance and keep
themselves motivated can serve as positive role models to help motivate and inspire those
around them.
Emotions Influence Performance
Much evidence points to a connection between people’s moods and various aspects of their
performance, such as teamwork, creativity, decision making, and task performance. Negative
moods drain energy and prevent people from doing their best.
An entire organization in a bad mood can’t succeed because people have no energy and feel
Exhibit 5.6: Positive Leadership and Performance
Discussion Question #1: How do you feel about developing the emotional qualities of yourself
and other people in the organization as a way to be an effective leader? Discuss.
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C. The Components of Emotional Intelligence
Exhibit 5.7: The Components of Emotional Intelligence
The competencies and abilities of emotional intelligence are grouped into four fundamental
categories—self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management.
Self-Awareness
Self-awareness includes the ability to recognize and understand our own emotions and how
they affect our life and work. People who are in touch with their emotions are better able to
Self-Management
Self-management includes the ability to control disruptive, unproductive, or harmful
emotions and desires. Some leaders look to expert customer service representatives (CSRs)
as role models.
New Leader Action Memo: As a leader, you can recognize and manage your own emotions so
that negative feelings don’t cloud your mind, distort your judgment, or cripple your ability to lead.
Other characteristics in this category include trustworthiness, which means consistently
displaying honesty and integrity; conscientiousness, which means managing and honoring
Social Awareness
The component of social awareness relates to one’s ability to understand others. Socially
aware leaders practice empathy, which means being able to put yourself in other people’s
shoes, sense their emotions, and understand their perspective. Socially aware leaders are also
Relationship Management
Relationship management refers to the ability to connect with others and build positive
relationships. Leaders with high emotional intelligence are aware of the impact their
New Leader Action Memo: As a leader, you can empathize with others, treat people with
compassion and sensitivity, build teamwork, and learn to listen, interpret emotions, and resolve
interpersonal conflicts.
Taken together, the four components shown in Exhibit 5.7 build a strong base of emotional
intelligence that leaders can use to more effectively guide teams and organizations.
In the Lead: John Harbaugh, Baltimore Ravens, and Jim Harbaugh, San Francisco 49ers
Coaches Tony Dungy, Joe Torre, and John and Jim Harbaughs have been noted for a new
approach to sports team leadership—using emotional intelligence to bring out the best in players.
The Harbaughs, who gained the world’s attention when their teams competed against each other in
the NFL Super Bowl in 2013, both created cultures that inspired players to connect with one
In an environment where relationships with employees and customers are becoming more
important than technology and material resources, interest in developing leaders’ emotional
New Leader Action Memo: Evaluate your level of emotional intelligence by completing the
questionnaire in Leader’s Self-Insight 5.2.
Discussion Question #6: Which of the four elements of emotional intelligence do you consider
most essential to an effective leader? Why?
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A high level of self-awareness and an ability to manage one’s own emotions enable a leader
to display self-confidence, earn respect and trust, and consider the need of others.
Emotionally competent leaders are:
• More resilient
• More adaptable to ever-changing circumstances
• More willing to step outside their comfort zone
• More open to the opinions and ideas of others
New Leader Action Memo: As a leader, you can develop emotional intelligence and act as a
positive role model by being optimistic and enthusiastic.
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Leadership Challenge #6: Apply the difference between motivating others based on fear and
motivating others based on love.
V. Leading with Love versus Leading with Fear
An unspoken notion among many senior-level executives is that fear is a good thing and benefits
the organization. When organizational success depended primarily on people mindlessly following
New Leader Action Memo: To learn about your own motivations concerning love versus fear,
complete the exercise in Leader’s Self-Insight 5.3.
Showing respect and trust also allows people to feel emotionally connected with their work so that
their lives are richer and more balanced. Leaders can rely on negative emotions such as fear to fuel
A. Fear in Organizations
The workplace can hold many kinds of fear, including fear of failure, fear of change, fear of
personal loss, fear of being judged, and fear of the boss. All of these fears can prevent people
from doing their best, from taking risks, and from challenging and changing the status quo.
In the Lead: Akshay Kothari and Ankit Gupta, Pulse News
Akshay Kothari and Ankit Gupta were graduate students at Stanford University’s acclaimed
d.school (formally known as the Hasso Plattner Institute of Design) when they took a class
New Leader Action Memo: As a leader, you can choose to lead with love, not with fear. You can
show respect and trust toward followers and help people learn, grow, and contribute their best to
achieve the organization’s vision.
Aspects of Fear
Fear in the workplace weakens trust and communication. Employees feel threatened by
repercussions if they speak up about work-related concerns. A survey of employees in 22
organizations found that 27 percent employees feared losing their credibility or reputation if
Relationship with Leaders
Exhibit 5.8: Indicators of Love versus Fear in Organizations
Love v
Organizations driven by love are marked by openness and authenticity, a respect for diverse
viewpoints, and emphasis on positive interpersonal relationships. Organizations driven by
B. Bringing Love to Work
Leaders can learn to bind people together for a shared purpose through positive forces such as
caring and compassion, listening, and connecting to others on a personal level. The emotion that
attracts people to take risks, learn, grow, and move the organization forward comes from love,
not fear.
Consider This: The Greatest is Love
In all groups and organizations feelings of compassion, respect, and loyalty are translated
into action, such as acts of friendliness, teamwork, cooperation, listening, understanding, and
Exhibit 5.9: The Practical Aspects and Outcomes of Caring About Others
Discussion Question #7: Consider fear and love as potential motivators. Which is the best source
of motivation for college students? For members of a new product development team? For top
executives at a media conglomerate? Why?
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C. Why Followers Respond to Love
Leaders who lead with love have extraordinary influence because they meet five unspoken
employee needs:
• Hear and understand me.
• Even if you disagree with me, please do not make me wrong.
• Acknowledge the greatness within me.
• Remember to look for my loving intentions.
• Tell me the truth with compassion.
When leaders address these subtle emotional needs directly, people typically respond by loving
their work and becoming emotionally engaged in solving problems and serving customers.
From the followers’ point of view, love versus fear has different motivational potential.
• Fear-based motivation—I need a job to pay for my basic needs. You give me a job, and
I will give you enough to keep my job.
• Love-based motivation—If the job and leader make me feel valued as a person and
Discussion Question #8: Have you ever experienced love and/or fear from leaders at work? How
did you respond? Is it possible that leaders might carry love too far and create negative rather
than positive results? Discuss.
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Discussion Questions
1. How do you feel about developing the emotional qualities of yourself and other people in
the organization as a way to be an effective leader? Discuss.
Emotional understanding and skills affect our success and happiness in our work as well as
in our personal lives. Leaders can harness, and direct the power of emotions to improve
2. What does it mean to be a whole leader as described in the chapter? Can you give an
example from your experience? Discuss.
To succeed in today’s environment requires whole leaders who use both their head and
their heart. Leaders have to use their head to tend to organizational issues such as goals and
3. Why is it so hard for people to change their assumptions? What are some specific reasons
leaders need to be aware of their mental models?