New research shows that the way in which leaders communicate about competition can make employees experience either anxiety or excitement, and those feelings influence whether they react positively or negatively. When employees feel excited, they鈥檙e more likely to come up with creative solutions. When they feel anxious, they鈥檙e more likely to cut corners or sabotage one another. Leaders can generate聽excitement by highlighting the potential positive consequences of competition (e.g., the recognition and rewards that await outstanding performers) rather than creating anxiety by singling out and highlighting low performers.
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