Don’t Let Your Anxiety Stress Out Your Team.

The article focuses on how leaders' anxiety, particularly expressed through online communication, can spread to their teams via emotional contagion, affecting employee wellbeing and performance. Research analyzing social media interactions of leaders and followers found that anxious messages from leaders can increase followers' anxiety for up to two days, while followers' anxiety can also influence leaders, especially those higher in the organizational hierarchy. The article advises new managers to communicate mindfully in virtual settings by moderating language, tone, and frequency of messages to reduce anxiety, encouraging clear, honest dialogue and measured vulnerability to foster trust and a supportive work environment.