The way that we, as leaders, convey emotions really matters. New research busts the myth that leaders who express harsh feedback at the start of a project help to drive performance by showing the required standard. The research showed the opposite: the extent to which leaders expressed positivity (at the start of a project or year) was the biggest predictor of team success. It was as simple as stating how much they cared about team members, enjoyed working with them & valued their specific contributions. The research doesn't suggest that leaders have to always be positive, but that challenging feedback works better at the midpoint of a project or a year. Timing is important. Leaders who express constant negativity hurt team members’ performance: hbr.org/2025/04/research-whe…. Via @jacobsglevitt @HarvardBiz.