I recently published my latest book, titled Biblical Wisdom for Business Leaders: Thirty Sayings from Proverbs. In that book, I gave a devotional on Proverbs 22.24-25, which reads:
Do not make friends with a hot-tempered person, do not associate with one easily angered, or you may learn their ways and get yourself ensnared.
This proverb reminds us that angry ways can be learned. And after learning them, we can find ourselves ensnared by the ways of an angry person.
After watching some of the fights which have erupted across this country concerning the Supreme Court’s recent decision on abortion, I was reminded of just how easy it has become to revert to anger when talking with someone with whom we disagree.
In business, anger is a distancing emotion, even though some think it leads to creativity and increased productivity. The opposite is often true: anger blots out reason and blurs good judgment, decreasing productivity and morale. Top talent generally does not like to be around those who have a quick temper or exhibit relentless, low-grade anger tendencies, expressed through a high need for control, criticism, sarcasm, arrogance, and other distancing expressions.
Angry employees are more likely to engage in unethical behavior. Those on the receiving end of anger can develop grudges against the one who becomes easily angered. In addition, they will keep their heads down and avoid the angry person. In most cases, they will look for other employment because few jobs are worth enduring the nagging anger of a colleague or boss. They swiftly reach the point where they don’t want to be in the same room with the angry person.
Anger comes in many forms and can be easily absorbed if we’re not careful. Here are some examples of how anger is communicated and absorbed in our society:
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Comics who make a living being sarcastic (sarcasm is anger and cynicism couched in humor)
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Political candidates who cause their base to be angry at the opposition as one method of solidifying their base before an election
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Cultural influencers who are angry over real or perceived injustices teach their followers to be angry too
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Pastors who are gifted communicators in the pulpit but are highly controlling behind closed doors often have low-grade, persistent anger against anyone who dares to question their decisions
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Managers who lack the soft skills in knowing how to motivate others become angry when company goals are missed
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Coaches who get angry and yell at their players teach other coaches that the way to be a good coach is through anger
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Anyone who intentionally murders or abuses another person or animal is an angry person
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Professors who teach godless philosophies often become angry when the subject of God comes up
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Producers of movies who cause their audience to become angry at a character or a real-world cause are usually angry people themselves
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Leaders of nations who are willing to use their military to invade other countries and ruthlessly kill civilians in pursuit of domination are angry people
I’ve worked with my share of angry business owners and managers. I observe that their anger rarely helps them in the way they think it does. Yes, it might produce the short-term results they are looking for, but it *always* distances top talent away from them. Whenever you find an angry business owner, you’ll find a company filled with mediocre talent and often, a revolving door to boot.
In this political season filled with hot-button issues and an economy that is unstable, let’s hold part of ourselves back and learn to discuss important topics calmly, with as little anger as possible. Let’s not become business owners and business leaders who absorb the anger rampant in our society. Let’s learn that we can get more accomplished through discussion and discourse that we do through yelling and outbursts.
Bill English, Publisher
Bible and Business
