Respect and Likeability

Can nice managers have low morale? Can managers who are aggressive and tough have low morale? The answer is – yes, many times they do. To be successful as a leader, it’s important that you’re respected and it’s important that you produce results.

If I take, for example, that nice manager, most of the time they have a very high need to be liked and to be liked; many times, they have a tough time holding people accountable to results.

On the other side, I’ve worked with managers that were really tough. When it comes to feelings, they don’t have any at all, in terms of conveying to the employee that they truly care, personally and professionally. 

The really nice manager has that problem. But here’s the challenge. When we look at the graph, that tough manager, who sometimes could be described as a jerk, also has a difficult time building relationships where people go out of their way to follow them and help them be highly successful as a leader and to help the organization be successful.

To be successful as a leader, you can’t be too nice, and you can’t be mean. You have to operate in the “sweet spot” of leadership. This is the place on the bell curve where I am caring, but I’m not unconditionally caring to the point where I don’t even like to hold you accountable. On the other side, I’m not so tough on accountability that caring doesn’t seem to come across in my leadership style.

Is caring important as a leader? You bet! If people don’t know that you genuinely care about them both personally and professionally, the only way they’re going to follow you in the direction that you’re going is if they have to. Be successful as a leader – don’t be too nice and unconditionally caring, and don’t be on the other side of the chart, so tough, so accountable that people don’t feel that you truly care about them. Operate in the “sweet spot” of leadership.