I cried when uniformed military personnel played Taps at my grandfather’s funeral. It was beautiful. The soulful sound of the trumpets echoed around my family as we honored my grandfather. I found joy in the moment.

Never suppress your emotions; acknowledge them.

But don't let them control you.

I classify emotions into two buckets: destructive vs useful.

If an emotion doesn't make your situation better, it's likely a destructive one. If someone cuts you off in traffic, and you get enraged, what advantage does the rage afford you? Nothing. Just high blood pressure.

If you can leverage your emotion, then it's useful. If you’re afraid of public speaking, you can channel your fear by putting energy into rehearsal sessions and becoming a better speaker. Build courage from fear.

Expressing the right emotion, at the right time, is a part of being a strong leader that people respect.

I like how retired Navy SEAL officer Jocko Willink puts it:

A leader must be calm but not robotic. It is normal—and necessary—to show emotion. The team must understand that their leader cares about them and their well-being. But, a leader must control his or her emotions. If not, how can they expect to control anything else?

Leaders who lose their temper also lose respect. But, at the same time, to never show any sense of anger, sadness, or frustration would make the leader void of any emotion at all—a robot. People do not follow robots.

Feel free to express your emotions. Just don't let them control you.