these same ordinary people traveled to London to leave flowers as
a mark of respect. The world’s press camped out in London and
Paris. The singer Elton John recorded a special version of “Candles
in the Wind.” A trust fund began to sell memorabilia—plates,
mugs, pens—as if Diana were a saint. These ordinary items were
sought by many as if they were holy relics. In contrast, many other
people, both in private and in some serious articles in the press,
attacked this national outpouring as being made up of bogus emo-
tion for an ordinary but beautiful and rich media idol.
Who was right? What was an appropriate emotional
response and what was not? Or were they all appropriate? The
answers to these questions point up the difficulty of being sure any
more, in these media-conscious days, of how to respond to some-
thing as universal as a tragic death.
Not surprisingly, it is equally difficult to establish exactly
what place emotions should have in a contemporary workplace.
There were varying opinions from those I consulted. Jayne-
Anne Gadhia thinks:It is essential to show emotions, but in a controlled way. You must show pas-
sion and belief, but rarely anger. A leader needs to be able to touch people
at a raw emotional level.
This last sentiment was echoed by many. Colin Marshall, chairman
of British Airways, said:It is a good thing for a leader to be seen as human. But one of a leader’s
most important responsibilities is keeping up employee morale and there
will be times when uncertainty must be masked by a spirit of bravery. But
you must always be truthful and realistic about prospects ahead.
Michael Bichard concurs with this need to motivate people by
being real:People relate to you as a human being. You do need to show emotion, but
never fake it. Of course you have to display anger for effect sometimes.
Getting Ready to Learn 41