How to Create a Fear-Based Culture

In the 16^th century philosophical piece, The Prince, Niccolò Machiavelli, asserts that it is best for a leader to be both loved and feared, but if you can’t have both, then it’s better to be feared. After all, commitments made in fear are kept out of fear. And in a lot of cases, Machiavelli was probably right. Followers who fear their leader will carefully walk the line. (more…)

Last week I had one of those fulfilling, rewarding, crazy and chaotic mornings with several planned and pop-up calls and conversations with clients.

Fulfilling and rewarding because I love getting to talk to and strategize with the leaders I help support, especially when it’s on the fly!

Crazy and chaotic because I had several other “to do” items on my task list that my teammates needed me to complete so they could move forward with their projects, and my mayhem of a morning prevented me from getting to any of them that day.

Now, don’t get me wrong. Our clients come first, and what I was doing that morning – serving our clients – was the most important thing I should have been doing. At the same time, I don’t want to be a leader who holds her people up from their performance and production. Any time a leader holds things up so the team can’t perform, it’s a bad thing. So, how should leaders handle these situations? (more…)