Reviewing and rebalancing the positive skew of emotions in transformational leadership

Purpose Transformational leaders have long been known to use emotions to motivate their followers and guide their energy toward the vision set forth by the leader. Much of the past research and theory on this topic has exhibited a bias toward positively valenced emotions. Negative emotions have received limited attention relative to positive emotions, and this imbalance has led to a skewed understanding of the relationship between emotions and transformational leadership (TL). Design/methodology/approach The study reviews the organizational literature regarding negative emotion expression in TL. Findings The study integrates research regarding negative emotions and TL with the existing body of research regarding positive emotions and TL. The authors argue that the range of emotions considered needs to be broadened and rebalanced. Practical and theoretical implications are also discussed. Originality/value The study integrates the benefits of negative emotions and TL the more well-known and explored the benefits of positive emotions and TL. The study uses the four components of TL theory, i.e. inspirational motivation (IM), idealized influence (II), individualized consideration (IC) and intellectual stimulation (IC), to explore how transformational leaders can effectively display negative emotions. The study ultimately presents a more balanced overview of emotions and TL.