This article offers an insider's look at the power and consequences of high levels of workplace emotion in order to deepen understanding of the workplace relationships and practices needed for individual and organizational success. It begins with a definition of terms, illustrating the linkages among toxic emotions, organizational effectiveness, leading, and change. It explores insights and strategies for managing the dynamics and proposes five steps for sustaining healthy leaders in an increasingly pressurized work world. The article advocates new models for education and training, as well as renewed attention to the development of theories and structures that promote individual and organizational health.
A Campaign for Forgiveness Research. (n.d.). Research projects. Retrieved June 29, 2007, from A the Campaign for Forgiveness Research Web site: http://www.forgiving.org/campaign/research.asp
2.
Allcorn, S. (1994). Anger in the workplace: Understanding the causes of aggression and violence. Westport, CT: Quorum Books.
3.
American Psychological Association. (n.d.). The road to resilience. Washington, DC. Author. Retrieved July 3, 2007, from http://www.apahelpcenter.org/featuredtopics/feature.php?id=6
4.
Argyris, C. (1985). Strategy, change, and defensive routines. Boston: Pitman.
5.
Ashford, S.J., Rothbard, N.P., Piderit, S.K., & Dutton, J.E. (1998). Out on a limb: The role of context and impression management in selling gender-equity issues. Administrative Science Quarterly, 43, 23-57.
6.
Ashforth, B.E., & Humphrey, R.H. (1995). Emotion in the workplace: A reappraisal. Human Relations, 48(2), 97-125.
7.
Ashkanasy, N.M., Härtel, C., & Daus, C.S. (2002). Diversity and emotion: The new frontiers in organizational behavior research. Journal of Management, 28(3), 307-338.
8.
Baker, W.E., & Dutton, J.E. (2007). Enabling positive social capital in organizations . In J. E. Dutton & B. R. Ragins (Eds.), Exploring positive relationships at work (pp. 325-346). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.
9.
Bedeian, A.G. (2002). The dean's disease: How the darker side of power manifests itself in the office of dean. Academy of Management Learning and Education, 1(2), 164-173.
10.
Bennis, W. (2003). On becoming a leader. New York : Perseus.
11.
Bennis, W.G., & O'Toole, J. (2005, May). How business schools lost their way. Harvard Business Review (Reprint R0505F).
12.
Benson, H., Corliss, J., & Cowley, G. (2004, September 27). Brain check: Can we teach ourselves to be healthier?Newsweek, pp. 45-47.
13.
Benson, H., & Klipper, M.Z. (1976). The relaxation response. New York: HarperTorch.
14.
Bolman, L., & Deal, T.E. (2003). Reframing organizations: Artistry, leadership, and choice. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass .
15.
Borysenko, J. (1988). Minding the body, mending the mind. New York: Bantam.
16.
Breedlove, C. (1998). Uncharted lines: Poems from the journal of the American Medical Association. New York: Ten Speed Press.
17.
Brockner, J., Grover, S., Reed, T.F., & Lee Dewitt, R. (1992). Layoffs, job insecurity, and survivors' work effort: Evidence of an inverted U relationship. Academy of Management Journal, 35(2), 413-426.
18.
Cameron, K. S.,Dutton, J. E., & Quinn, R. E. (Eds.). (2003). Positive organizational scholarship: Foundations of a new discipline. Berkeley, CA: Berrett-Koehler.
19.
Campbell, D. (1999). The Mozart effect: Tapping the power of music to heal the body, strengthen the mind and unlock the creative spirit. New York: Avon.
20.
Campo, R. (1994). The other man was me: A voyage to the new world . New York: Arte Publico.
21.
Campo, R. (1996). What the body told. Durham, NC: Duke University Press.
22.
Center for Positive Organizational Scholarship. (n.d.). Ann Arbor, MI: Author. http://www.bus.umich.edu/Positive/ Accessed July 10, 2007.
23.
Cohen, M.D., & March, J.G. (1974). Leadership and ambiguity: The American college president. New York: McGraw-Hill .
24.
Coles, R. (1989). The call of stories: Teaching and the moral imagination . Boston: Houghton Mifflin.
25.
Delbecq, A.L. (2008). Nourishing the soul of the leader: Inner growth matters. In J. V. Gallos (Ed.), Business leadership (2nd ed., pp. 486-503). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
26.
Dossey, L. (1993). Healing words: The power of prayer and the practice of medicine. San Francisco: HarperCollins .
27.
Dossey, L. (1997). Be careful what you pray for . . . You just might get it: What we can do about the unintentional effects of our thoughts, prayers, and wishes. San Francisco: HarperCollins .
28.
Dotlich, D.L., Noel, J.L., & Walker, N. (2008). Learning for leadership: Failure as a second chance . In J. V. Gallos (Ed.), Business leadership (2nd ed., pp. 478-485). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
29.
Dutton, J., Lilius, J., & Kanov, J. (2007). The transformative potential of compassion at work. In S. Piderit, R. Fry, & D. Cooperrider (Eds.), New designs for transformative cooperation (pp. 107-126). Palo Alto, CA: Stanford University Press .
30.
Dutton, J.E., Worline, M., Frost, P., & Lilius, J. (2006). Explaining compassion organizing. Administrative Science Quarterly, 51(1), 59-96.
31.
Figley, C.R. (1993, January). Compassion stress: Toward its measurement and management. Family Therapy News.
32.
Figley, C. R. (Ed.). (1995). Compassion fatigue: Coping with secondary traumatic stress disorder in those who treat the traumatized. New York: Brunner/Mazel .
33.
Figley, C.R. (2003). Compassion fatigue: An introduction. Retrieved June 29, 2007, from http://www.giftfromwithin.org/html/cmpfatig.html
34.
Fineman, S. (2000). Emotion arenas revisited. In S. Fineman (Ed.), Emotion in organizations (pp. 1-24). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
35.
Frost, P.J. (2003). Toxic emotions at work. Boston : Harvard Business School Press.
36.
Frost, P.J. (2005). Toxin handlers and their stories. Web site accessed July 10, 2007.
37.
Frost, P.J., & Robinson, S.L. (1999, July/August). The toxic handler: Organizational hero-and casualty. Harvard Business Review (Reprint 8571).
38.
Freud, S. (1975). Group psychology and the analysis of the ego. New York: Norton.
39.
Gallos, J.V. (1989). Developmental diversity and the OB classroom: Implications for teaching and learning. Organizational Behavior Teaching Review, 13(4), 33-47.
40.
Gallos, J.V. (1993). Understanding the organizational behavior classroom: An application of developmental theory. Journal of Management Education, 17(4), 423-439.
41.
Gallos, J.V. (2002). The dean's squeeze: The myths and realities of academic leadership in the middle. Academy of Management Learning and Education, 1(2), 174-184.
42.
Gallos, J.V. (2007). Loss and change: A Developmental opportunity for teaching wisdom, compassion, and respect for the human condition using Joan Didion's The Year of Magical Thinking. Academy of Management Learning and Education, 6(2), 286-292.
43.
Gallos, J.V. (in press). Artful teaching: Using the visual, creative and performing arts in contemporary management education. In S. Armstrong & C. Fukami (Eds.), Handbook of management learning, education and development . Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
44.
Gardner, J. (1990). On leadership. New York: Free Press.
45.
Gladwell, M. (2005). Blink: The power of thinking without thinking . New York: Little, Brown.
46.
Goleman, D. (1995). Emotional intelligence. New York: Bantam.
47.
Hatfield, E., Cacioppo, J., & Rapson, R.L. (1994). Emotional contagion. New York : Cambridge University Press.
48.
Heaphy, E., & Dutton, J.E. (2008). Positive social interactions and the human body at work: Linking organizations and physiology. Academy of Management Review, 33(1), 137-163.
49.
Heifetz, R.A. (1994). Leadership without easy answers. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
50.
Heifetz, R.A., & Linsky, M. (2002). Leadership on the line: Staying alive through the dangers of leading. Boston: Harvard Business School Press.
51.
Huy, Q.N. (2002). Emotional balancing of organizational continuity and radical change: The contribution of middle managers. Administrative Science Quarterly, 47, 31-69.
52.
Job cuts hurt another way. (2004, October 19). Kansas City Star, p. E-8.
53.
Joiner, T.E. (1994). Contagious depression: Existence specificity to depressed symptoms and the role of reassurance seeking. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 67, 287-296.
54.
Jourdain, R. (2002). Music, the brain and ecstasy: How music captures our imagination. New York: Quill /Harper Collins.
55.
Kabat-Zinn, J. (1994). Wherever you go there you are. New York: Hyperion.
56.
Kahn, W. (2005). Holding fast: The struggle to create resilient care-giving organizations. New York: Brunner-Routledge.
57.
Kanov, J.M., Maitlis, S., Worline, M.C., Dutton, J.E., Frost, P.J., & Lilius, J.M. (2004). Compassion in organizational life. American Behavioral Scientist, 47(6), 808-827.
58.
Kegan, R. (1994). In over our heads: The mental demands of modern life. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
59.
Kellerman, B. (2004). Bad leadership: What it is, how it happens, why it matters. Boston: Harvard Business School Press.
60.
Kets de Vries, M.F.R. (2003). Leaders, fools and imposters: Essays on the psychology of leadership. New York: Universe .
61.
Kotter, J. (2006). Leading change: Why transformation efforts fail . In J. V. Gallos (Ed.), Organization development (pp. 239-251). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
62.
Kubler-Ross, E. (1969). On death and dying. New York : Macmillan.
63.
Kubler-Ross, E. (1975). Death: The final stage of growth. Englewood Cliff, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
64.
Lawrence, P., & Nohria, N. (2002). Driven: How human nature shapes our choices. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
65.
Lewis, J., & Adler, J. (2004, September 27). Forgive and let live. Newsweek, p. 52.
66.
Lipman-Blumen, J. (2005). The allure of toxic leaders: Why we follow destructive bosses and corrupt politicians-and how we can survive. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.
67.
Lipstein, O. (1992, March). Sex and crocheting in Burma: An interview with Ram Dass. Psychology Today. Retrieved from http://psychologytoday.com/articles/pto-19920301-000028.html
68.
Maccoby, M. (2004, September). The power of transference. Harvard Business Review (Reprint R0409E).
69.
Maitlis, S., & Ozcelik ( 2004). Toxic decision processes: A study of emotion and organizational decision making. Organization Science, 15(4), 375-393.
70.
March, J.G., & Weil, T. (2005). On leadership: A short course. London: Blackwell.
71.
Marris, P. (1986). Loss and change. London: Routledge & Kegan.
72.
Maslow, A. (1968). Toward a psychology of being. Princeton, NJ: Van Nostrand.
73.
Mayo Clinic. (2007). Need to relax?Take a break to meditate.
74.
Retrieved March 25, 2008, from http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/meditation/MM00623
75.
McCraty, R., Barrios-Choplin, B., Atkinson, M., & Tomasino, D. (1998). The effects of different types of music on mood, tension, and mental clarity. Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine, 4(1), 75-84.
76.
Miller, J. (2005, September 12). A call to turn bad to good: Dalai Lama urges seeking the positive. Kansas City Star, p. A-13.
77.
Morgan Roberts, L., Dutton, J.E., Spreitzer, G.M., Heaphy, E.D., & Quinn, R.E. (2005). Composing the reflected best-self portrait: Building pathways for becoming extraordinary in work organizations. Academy of Management Review, 30(4), 712-736.
78.
Mumby, D.K., & Putnam, L.L. (1992). The politics of emotion: A feminist reading of bounded rationality. Academy of Management Review, 17(3), 465-486.
79.
Murray, B. (2003). Rebounding from losses. APA Monitor , 34(9), 43.
80.
Offermann, L. (2004, January). When followers become toxic. Harvard Business Review (Reprint R0401E).
81.
Oshry, B. (1995). Seeing systems: Unlocking the mysteries of organizational life. San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler .
82.
Pfeffer, J., & Veiga, J.F. (1999). Putting people first for organizational success . Academy of Management Executive, 13(2), 37-48.
83.
Pritchard, R., Griffin, R., & O'Leary-Kelly, A. (2004). The dark side of organizational behavior. San Francisco: Pfeiffer .
84.
Rein, G., McCraty, R., Atkinson, M. (1995). The physiological and psychological effects of compassion and anger. Journal of Advancement of Medicine, 8(2), 87-105.
85.
Researcher finds fibbers can be found out: A few "wizards" can detect clues to lies, professor says at 2004 AMA's Science Reporters Conference . (2004, October 15). Kansas City Star, p. A-4.
86.
Restak, R. (2003). The new brain: How the modern age is rewiring your mind. New York: Rodale.
87.
Rohrlich, R. (1980). Work and love: The crucial balance. New York: Harmony.
88.
Rose, A., Carlson, W., & Waller, E.M. (2007). Prospective associations of co-rumination with friendship and emotional adjustment: Considering the socio-emotional trade-offs of co-rumination." Developmental Psychology, 43(4), 1019-1031.
89.
Sacks, O. (1973). Awakening. New York: HarperCollins.
90.
Sales, M.J. (2006). Understanding the power of position: A diagnostic model. In J. V. Gallos (Ed.), Organization development (pp. 322-343). San Francisco : Jossey-Bass.
91.
Siegel, B. (1993). How to live between office visits. New York: HarperCollins.
92.
Siegel, B. (1998). Prescriptions for living. New York: HarperCollins.
93.
Stark, M. (2003, March 10). Time to treat toxic emotions at work . Harvard Business School Working Knowledge. Retrieved July 5, 2007, from http://hbswk.hbs.edu/pubitem.jhtml?id=3373&t=organizations
94.
Stoppler, M. (2007). Cortisol: The stress hormone. Retrieved July 10, 2007, from http://stress.about.com/cs/cortisol/a/aa012901.html
95.
Storr, A. (1992). Music and the mind. New York : Ballantine.
96.
Susskind, L., & Field, P. (1996). Dealing with an angry public: The mutual gains approach to resolving disputes. New York: Free Press.
97.
Taylor, S.E., Klein, L.C., Lewis, B.P., Gruenwald, T.L., Gurung, R.A.R., & Updegraff, J.A. (2000). Bio-behavioral responses to stress in females: Tend-and-befriend, not fight-or-flight. Psychological Review, 107(3), 411-429.
98.
Terr, L. (1999). Beyond love and work: Why adults need to play . New York: Scribner.
99.
Vaill, P. (1996). Learning as a way of being. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
100.
Van Maanen, J., & Kunda, G. (1989). "Real feelings": Emotional expression and organizational culture. Research in Organizational Behavior, 11, 43-103.
101.
Watkins, M. (2008). The first ninety days of leadership. In J. V. Gallos (Ed.), Business leadership (2nd ed., pp. 293-300). San Francisco : Jossey-Bass.
102.
Weick, K. (1979) The social psychology of organizing. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley.
103.
Whicker, M.L. (1996). Toxic leaders: When organizations go bad. Westport, CT: Quoram.
