Leadership is often misconstrued as a role devoid of emotion. Yet, the reality is that leaders, like everyone else, harbour a plethora of emotions. The critical difference, however, is that exemplary leaders master the art of emotional regulation, ensuring that their decisions and actions reflect stability, clarity, and vision. Circumstances will always bring fear, anger, joy, and excitement.

They are the weather of the business world: unpredictable and often harsh. But none of this must determine a leader’s course. True leaders don’t give in to raw, emotional reactions. They apply emotional intelligence, which is just a fancy term for the discipline to sit back, analyze the situation with a clear head, and then decide.

Leaders have a simple but powerful rule: never make a permanent decision based on a temporary emotion, especially anger. You know it won’t be the best, and most times, it ends in regret. The ability to compartmentalize, to put the anger, the worries, the sadness, or the fear aside while you are steering the ship, isn’t just a nice skill to have but also gives you a tremendous leverage as a leader.

Your team looks to you for stability. When you react from a place of calm analysis rather than heated emotion, you build a foundation of trust. They learn that your guidance is reasoned, and not rash.

We talk a lot about managing negative emotions, but positive emotions can be equally treacherous if left unchecked. Overconfidence, the rush of a recent success, or the excitement of a new opportunity can lead you to make impulsive decisions just as surely as anger or fear. The case of Quibi comes to mind. Jeffrey Katzenberg and Meg Whitman, two incredibly accomplished executives, raised $1.75 billion to launch a mobile-first streaming service. The excitement was palpable. The funding was unprecedented. But that excitement may have blinded them to fundamental market realities. They launched without adequately testing whether consumers actually wanted premium content on their phones. Six months later, Quibi shut down, having burned through nearly all that capital. Excitement isn’t strategy, and enthusiasm doesn’t replace analysis.

True leaders understand that emotional reactions can often be misleading and counterproductive. They recognize the importance of pausing, analyzing, and considering the broader implications of their actions. Indra Nooyi, former CEO of PepsiCo, was recognized for her calm demeanor and thoughtful decision-making in the face of challenges.

Her ability to remain composed and make well-calibrated decisions helped steer PepsiCo through complex market shifts, ultimately leading to sustainable growth. In high-pressure environments, the ability to maintain a composed demeanor provides leverage. This is vividly illustrated by Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon, who consistently emphasizes the importance of focusing on customer experience rather than getting distracted by short-term market pressures or internal challenges. His strategic calmness has been instrumental in Amazon's continuous innovation and expansion.

One must always remember that decisions made in frustration or anger can lead to regret. Reflect upon the leadership approach of Mary Barra, CEO of General Motors. She was faced with massive recalls that could have easily incited panic and reactive decision-making. Barra took time to assess the situation thoroughly, ultimately turning it into an opportunity to enhance the company's commitment to quality and safety. Another similar scenario is a significant project failure.

A typical reaction for any human might be anger or frustration. An unprepared line manager might lash out at their team, demanding immediate answers, fostering an environment of blame. This impulsive outburst, fuelled by raw emotion, demoralizes the team, stifles future reporting of issues, and ultimately hinders the identification of systemic problems.

When your mind is anything less than calm and clear, it is simply not in an optimal state for sound judgment. Therefore, stabilize your mind first. This might mean stepping away from your desk for a moment, taking a short walk, meditating, or simply deferring a critical conversation until you can approach it with complete composure. Your decisions impact careers, livelihoods, and the very trajectory of your department or organization. Your ability to lead with a steady hand, regardless of the emotional tempest brewing within or around you, is not merely a soft skill, but also your ultimate strategic advantage. It is the hallmark of leadership that endures, inspires, and truly delivers.

Finally, leadership isn’t about being superhuman. It’s about being human enough to recognize your own emotional patterns and disciplined enough not to let them sabotage your judgment. Your team doesn’t need a leader who never feels anger, fear, or frustration. They need a leader who feels all of those things but doesn’t let any of them make decisions. That’s the leverage emotional intelligence gives you. That’s what separates leaders who merely react from leaders who truly lead. And that’s what you must master if you want to be the kind of leader people trust when everything’s on the line. In those moments, your team won’t remember what you felt but they’ll remember what you did.

Oluwole Dada is the General Manager at SecureID Limited, Africa’s largest smart card manufacturing plant in Lagos, Nigeria.