If "Redemption" is the episode I'm thinking of, I remember the discussions when it first aired (Usenet tng group). Data gives the order to fire, and there is hesitation, so he turns and says "Fire!" and you look at his face and he's pissed. This is a command, do it you little turd!
People were freaking out because Data was showing emotion, and, well... he's Data. But that's just it; he was "showing" emotion. He didn't feel it, he was not genuinely angry. He simply calculated that under the circumstances, a more forceful approach was needed, and sitting there calmly giving the order to fire obviously wasn't cutting it. So he amped up the emotion, got a mean look on his face, and said "Fire!" And it got the reaction he needed.
Data was good in a command position precisely because he acted and reacted without emotion.
Also, yeah, Jellico was cool. He came across as a dick at first, but it was simply his no-nonsense approach in sharp contrast to Picard's laid-back style. Picard had earned his crew's respect. Jellico didn't have that going for him, so he went with the direct approach, and by the end of the episode we understand that and see the logic in it.