Putting your anger to good use, how to bounce back from a mistake, and more top insights

What’s happening in the world of work: The Saturday edition of the Daily Rundown highlights the business trends, perspectives, and hot topics you need to know to work smarter. Read on and join the conversation.

How the best leaders handle their emotions: In the face of negative news, leaders may feel the urge to put on a false, happy face. But suppressing those emotions increases stress levels for managers and employees, and it can weaken relationships, write Yale’s Emma Seppälä and Christina Bradley. Venting your frustration doesn’t help either. What works best? Reappraising the situation altogether. When leaders frame problems as challenges, rather than threats, they can build trust and motivation for everyone involved. • Here’s what people are saying.

When you realize you messed up, big time: Step one? Be honest, you went down a less than ideal path (career or otherwise), writes The New York Times’ Tim Herrera. Up next? Stop beating yourself up about it. And then, perhaps most important of all, make changes to avoid future pain. This requires us to let go of our commitment bias, when we give our past choices too much control over our present and future behavior. The best way to begin? Small moves, so we can inch our way to a brighter, less painful future. • Here’s what people are saying.

You Asked: “How do I deal with coworkers who constantly attempt to sabotage my efforts to succeed?” — Fonda M., Austin, Tx.-based real estate professional

• “The best way to deal with this type of coworker is to reduce or minimize all in-person, phone and online interaction. When you do interact, keep track of those communications by creating an electronic paper trail. For instance, if you send an email, copy your boss or another team member so that you have proof of the dialogue. If you come up with an idea and are afraid that your coworker will take credit for it, let your boss know that it was your idea by including her in the email chain. Remember that it is possible for both of you to succeed without stepping on one another. Lead by example. Be alert and polite while protecting yourself and your reputation.” — Amy Cooper Hakim, founder of The Cooper Strategic Group and co-author of “Working with Difficult People” (Read Amy Cooper Hakim’s full response.)
• “The key is to figure out what positive thing this person who has been sabotaging you wants to accomplish – it is seldom just for the sake of harming you, even though it often feels that way. For example, suppose this person were sabotaging you by letting your mutual boss see their proposal with ample time, and only letting the boss see your proposal at the last minute. Ultimately, this person probably has the intention of trying to be appreciated for their work. That’s not a bad thing. But they are doing it in a way that is unfair to you. They won’t change if they don’t see another way to get to their positive intention – e.g. to be appreciated for their work. Your path to changing their behavior is through helping this person to find a new way to get to their positive intention.” — Josh Davis, senior director of research at The Institute for Personal Leadership and author of “Two Awesome Hours: Science-Based Strategies to Harness Your Best Time and Get Your Most Important Work Done”

Looking for career advice from the pros? Submit your questions in the comments with #YouAsked and we’ll take care of the rest.

Why hiring managers are drawn to liars: When it comes to filling positions that call for high level sales skills — like banking, advertising and, well, sales — we are prone to hiring deceptive candidates over honest ones, according to researchers from University of Chicago and Johns Hopkins. That’s because we are inclined to perceive lying as an asset in such professions, despite the fact that such behavior can inflict major financial and reputational damage on companies. To diminish the appeal of deceivers, leaders can shift job requirements so they focus less on sales tactics and more on forging good relationships with customers. • Here’s what people are saying.

What employees want most this summer: It’s probably okay to cancel that company picnic or ice cream party. A meager 10% of workers told staffing firm Accountemps that work-related social events are an important summertime perk. What do they truly want? Time. Some 52% of workers said the perk they want most during summer is flexible scheduling. Only 27% said they desired the option to leave early on Fridays, and 11% said they wanted a more casual dress code. • Here’s what people are saying.

One last idea:  In announcing his refusal to speak at medical conferences that fail to show a commitment to gender diversity, National Institutes of Health director Francis Collins reminds us of the exceptional opportunity — and responsibility — for leaders to shape the culture around them.

“It is not enough to give lip service to equality; leaders must demonstrate their commitment through their actions. Breaking up the subtle (and sometimes not so subtle) bias that is preventing women and other groups underrepresented in science from achieving their rightful place in scientific leadership must begin at the top.”

What's your take? Join the conversations on today's stories in the comments.

— Scott Olster