Getting Mad
This post is vague. It’s something I’ve been thinking about (no, not related to March Madness). I’m mainly curious to hear your thoughts on getting mad. Do you get mad? How do you express your madness? Do you go berserk and burn bridges? Or do you have a more subdued passive aggressive approach?
On rare occasion, I think there are times when startup leaders need to get mad. I’m not sure it is easy to list all the madness-worthy causes. Some reasons come to mind: screw-ups, lies, being stepped on, ineptitude, being used, etc.
There are different ways to get mad. Everyone has their favorite style. Expressed the right way, it can be a powerful way to kick a team into the right gear.
While I don’t get mad very often, I do get mad on occasion. I try to channel my madness towards a useful outcome; the goal is often to fix the situation. After the resolution has been found, I think forgiveness can be a powerful way to avoid lingering bad feelings and sometimes even make relationships stronger than they were prior to the incident.
What are your thoughts on getting mad?
From the conversation
Comments preserved from the original post.
Rob Kischuk
Yup. Lies. Lies often mean someone has fired themselves. You get mad enough to act, then explain it to them calmly and factually and move on.
Mad is best used to define what you need to do, not how you do it.
melonakos
In reply to an earlier comment
I like the “need to do” emphasis over “how you do it.” Thanks for the feedback Rob!