Previous studies have found mixed results regarding the influence of positive and negative
leader affect on follower performance. We propose that both leader happiness and leader
sadness can be beneficial for follower performance contingent on whether the task concerns
creative or analytical performance. This proposition was put to the test in two experiments in
which leader affective display was manipulated and the performance of (student) participants
was assessed. The results supported our hypothesis that a leader's displays of happiness
enhance follower creative performance, whereas a leader's displays of sadness enhance
follower analytical performance. Contrasting these findings with evidence for a subjective
rating of leadership effectiveness, in line with an implicit leadership theory interpretation,
leaders were perceived as more effective when displaying happiness rather than sadness
irrespective of task type. The second study showed that the effects of leader affective displays
on followers' creative performance and perceived leadership effectiveness are mediated by
follower positive affect, indicating that emotional contagion partly underlies these effects.