Leadership in Action: Leadership that is Both Forceful and Enabling

CHOICE PROBLEMS

With a complete picture of the choices of forceful and enabling leadership, you have real options—you can in fact fully appreciate the dilemma. But you may have problems following through on some choices because, in my experience:

Leaders who excel at taking charge tend not to do as well at letting go, and vice versa.

Leaders with a proven ability to be tough—in turnaround situations, for example—often lack sensitivity, and those who have ample people sensitivity tend to have trouble being tough—in removing poor performers, for ...