This article originally appeared in Fast Company and was updated on August 23, 2024 to reflect the current news cycle.

 

A teacher cries after being screamed at by a parent who doesn’t approve of the homework assignment. A customer berates a teenage barista for getting an incredibly complicated coffee order wrong. A driver pulls out in front of my car – and then flips me off while driving away.

Welcome to my Tuesday morning.

When I finally got to the office, I sat for a moment bewildered as I asked myself, “Why is everyone so angry?”

And then I remembered.

“Oh yeah. It’s an election year.”

How is fear used in politics, and how does it affect us?

Elections are divisive by nature. Each person must make a choice as to the candidate they will support – saying “yes” to one and “no” to the others. The job of a candidate’s campaign is to push people into making that choice. The easiest and generally most effective way for a campaign to get a voter to choose their candidate is to stoke their most primitive emotion: fear. Campaigns work relentlessly to convince voters that they will be harmed if another candidate wins. Fear spurs people to action like few other emotions can. It also typically induces anger at the threat that causes it – the enemy.

Nearly all the messaging that we will consume around the election this year will be intentionally designed to feed our fear and if we’re not careful, it will make us angry. Angry at the other side – those “others” who are trying to hurt us and our families. Angry at the opposing candidates. And even angry at those who support them.

Supporters on both sides will be mobilized for battle – ready to put signs in yards, knock on doors, rally and even protest. Added to the mix this year is that we’re in the midst of an election unlike anything we’re experienced before.

Try as we might, we cannot separate how we perform at work from what is happening outside of work.  When we suffer a personal tragedy, those emotions show up with us in our jobs. When we have been hurt by someone we love, that experience may shape our ability to trust and communicate. And when we feel threatened by those on the other side of the political aisle, we sometimes project those emotions on to others, like our colleagues.

How can leaders alleviate partisan animosity in the workplace?

What strategies can leaders deploy to unify divided, fearful and even angry people into a cohesive team? How can we keep the collective emotion from spilling into the way we treat those we work with, including our customers? And how can we unite our teams when everything around us this year is designed to do just the opposite?

To survive in the highly competitive, quickly evolving market we are in today, leaders need focused teams with great communication that is based on a high degree of mutual respect and trust. Creating high-performing teams is always challenging but will be especially difficult in the divisive atmosphere this year.

Following are three ways leaders can get in front of the potential for issues that seek to divide versus unite us: 

1) Continually talk about what unites us

Everyone on your team has chosen to be there because they believe the team can help them accomplish something worthwhile that they can’t do on their own. The fact that they are choosing to work alongside their teammates each day demonstrates that they need each other. Effective leaders talk about shared mission, vision and values in ways that make us aware of our commonalities and build      camaraderie. More than ever, leaders this year must emphasize the shared purpose that binds their teams together and reflect on the things they have accomplished together. We must help people remember that whatever the noise is “out there,” there are only allies “in here.”

2) Actively demonstrate care

If you want to attract people who are seeking to escape the anger of the world, you must be sure that their time with you evokes emotions contrary to anger – such as understanding, care and compassion. Be intentional and take time to demonstrate care for your team members this year. That doesn’t mean merely asking “how are you?” at the coffee maker in the morning.  It means committing to active listening and looking for ways to create moments that demonstrate that you see them and are there for them.

3) Give a reason to believe

Campaigns will go to great lengths to communicate the devastation that will occur if the “wrong” candidates win. Leaders have a tremendous opportunity to counteract this doom and gloom by reinforcing the positive things that lie ahead for your business, team and them personally. But being optimistic isn’t enough. Leaders must articulate what is coming and back that positive vision up with proof points that can be clearly seen to give people reasons to believe.

In a year when we will all be feeling the stress of division and fear, businesses have an opportunity to be the antithesis – a place where we engage in purpose and experience shared success. By creating an atmosphere that is different from the world at large, leaders will not only create a space for our people to be their best, but also an environment that’s unique and attractive to others seeking the same.