Common wisdom is that they’re tough when they need to be. “Don’t let this sweet face fool you,” was one of my favorite, slightly humorous warnings now and then throughout my career. But there’s a difference between being tough and being indifferent and outright mean. And that’s what the blog I wrote for Big Think is about this week.
It’s time we took the time to examine when leadership needs to be commanding and insistent upon strict cooperation and when showing civility and empathy is more effective. No leader worth his or her salt is the same all the time. My article with Kevin Reardon and Alan Rowe on the Five Stages of Radical Change used by the Air Force and many organizations, describes how different challenges requires leaders to have different strengths. Often one leader cannot do it all. He or she needs a team and on that team should be those who remind the more task focused that there are people to consider in any effective leadership equation.
Hope you enjoy the read. http://tinyurl.com/qdct38n
