Assets - Liabilities = Net Worth. That was one of the first equations that I learned in accounting many years ago. It is a very simple and direct equation to commit to memory, but somehow we fail to consider the equation void of numerical ramifications.
Assets are items of value that we possess due to acquisition or wealth transfer. Assets can be physical, intellectual, or even "realized," meaning that we recognize the value of something that others may not in a traditional sense. One common realized asset is emotional possession acquired via acquisition or transference.
Anger can be a catalyst for acquisition. Anger can also be a catalyst for liabilities. Liabilities can be defined as short or long-term debt, or something that we owe a value to another.
If you've been in leadership for any length of time, you understand that anger is a common emotion that is expressed or internalized very frequently. Some would argue anger has no place in organizational leadership, but I beg to differ. It is the expression of anger that can be a problem, not anger itself.
Let us think in terms of assets created by anger. Anger can cause one to build resilience, eliminate procrastination, encourage learning and knowledge acquisition, learn a new skill, geographically relocate, enter a new industry, or even forge new relationships. As a catalyst, anger can be one of the strongest emotions that we possess to create assets of value. My Great Aunt EDNA once told me that besides love, anger can be attributed to creating some of the most beautiful outcomes. She also stated that one's purpose is often found in the one thing that provides you with the greatest anger. It is that, in which you were born to solve.
Inversely, anger can also be a catalyst for liabilities. Liabilities are typically created by anger in the lack of controlled expression. Do you control your anger, or are you controlled by anger? The variance in outcomes can be drastic if one cannot control their anger.
Let us think in terms of liabilities caused by anger. Anger can cause personal image damage, communication barriers, job loss, financial distress, legal entanglements, damaged relationships, and even death. Since liabilities are debt, can these liabilities be paid off and neutralized? Some can, and others are finite.
Anger as an emotion expressed in leadership can get an unfair label at times. In a fairy tale version of leadership, the leader is always happy, wise, and free of stress. Can I call bullshit on this one? The real version of leadership is laced with pride, happiness, stress, accomplishment, intuition, learning, intellect, and yes, anger. Real leadership, has moments of real anger.
The real trick is creating a positive net worth as a result of the anger. The assets you gain from anger must surpass your liabilities caused by your anger. This effort, a word used intentionally, requires a conscious cognitive awareness of your anger, and the ability to channel your anger into positive outcomes. This will not be a 100% occurrence, as anger is not 100% controllable in the human experience. But this does not mean that anger cannot be dominated in most instances.
Find an immediate outlet for your anger. For some leaders, writing is an immediate outlet. For others, exercise is an immediate outlet. Others depend on talking to a mentor, reading literature, meditating, or other diversions that force a redirection of the energy created by anger. The worst case scenario is for a leader to not have an immediate plan for an outlet, and allowing the anger to replay the scenarios in a looping pattern. The results are then typically on the liability side of the net worth equation.
