Stress increases when leaders can’t bring kind and tough together. Kind without tough makes you a pushover. Tough without kind makes you a jerk. Accountability is candy to some leaders. It’s easy for them to say, “No.” They have no problem holding people’s feet to the fire. But you aren’t one of them. Extremes: Some […]

via How to be Tough When You Prefer Being Kind — Leadership Freak
Often women leaders want to be kind but feel they need to be tough. This article helps by suggesting that both need to come together. Giving so many “second” chances that there are no boundaries is not good for the organization, the mission — or even the person wanting it. Inspiring people to work toward the mission is what a leader does. Requiring accountability is also what a leader does. Managing is the basic application work for leadership.
Being a pushover is not kind to the organization. If you let one employee get away with not doing the job, others have to do it. Or the work doesn’t get done, which is unkind to the customers. What about the employee? If they are getting away with something they shouldn’t, are they growing? Or are they cheated too? Haven’t you let them down, too?