Chapter 4: Leader Emotions and Vision Implementation: Effects of Activation Potential and Valence

This study examines the effects of leader emotions on followers’ vision-related task performance and perceptions of the leader. We manipulated leader emotion valence (positive or negative) and activation potential (active or passive) in an experiment where the leader’s emotions were focused on vision-relevant factors external to the organization. Results indicate that active emotions are better at increasing vision-related performance than passive emotions, regardless of valence. Active emotions also led to increased perceptions of transformational leadership, although this effect only held for followers with lower emotional competence. Followers high in emotional competence perceived leaders displaying passive emotions as more transformational. The effects of emotion valence on trust in the leader were also moderated by emotional competence. Implications of these findings for leadership and emotions research are discussed.