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Strong leadership: bullying by another name?
"Anger is an acid that can do more harm to the vessel in which it is stored than
to anything on which it is poured.” Mark Twain
Seven hundred and eighteen thousand.
That’s how many Google references you get when you key-in ‘Gordon
Brown bullying’.
It’s clearly of interest then - this issue of Gordon and his
robust leadership style.
But what is it telling us about leadership?
My history studies told me that the sources of a story are often more interesting
than the story itself. Take 'Bad King John', the thirteenth century ruler of
Magna Carta fame.
Apart from the schoolboy joke, 'Where was the Magna Carta signed?' (at the bottom
– ho-ho) the only thing we know about King John is that he was bad. But the
people writing about him at the time were his opponents: the barons of the
country. He got a bad press and it's lasted for almost a millennium.
“History will be kind to me, for I intend to write it”
Winston Churchill
If we take a more popular historical figure, Winston
Churchill, we get another interesting spin. Does anyone really believe Churchill
was politically correct and a role model for inclusive, nurturing leadership? I
thought not.
Yet he was recently voted our Greatest Briton and is extolled for his strong
leadership style in adversity. The bulldog spirit; the never say die attitude.
The philosophy of "keep buggering on."
So is big, bad Gordon really a fair perception of our current leader? Not if you listen to his supporters: a
luxury King John didn't have at his disposal. Here's a couple of sound-bites on
Gordon as leader from those who see him positively:
"He is not a bully; he's just demanding, passionate, emotional and no shrinking violet." anon supporter
"(He is) passionate and he's a leader and he's got that strength of character and drive. That's what
you want in a leader." Ed Balls
Every story has two sides I guess. And it got me pondering the demands of leadership in different climates.
For instance, when times are good do we need people to lead with the iron fist, but inside a velvet glove?
When times are tough, is it appropriate for leaders to remove that glove and reveal the iron fist to their
troops? After all, they stand and fall by the performance of their teams and they need to drive results.
Well, here's what I think.
Times are indeed tough and leadership needs to be robust during times of adversity and transition. But
there's a danger that having to make tough decisions becomes a convenient excuse for poor leadership and
inappropriate behaviour.
You can shout at your computer and yell at the dog without too much negative reaction. But people aren't
machines, or family pets, and they are hugely affected by the behaviour of others.
Remember the definition of leadership is 'to influence the behaviour of others to deliver positive outcomes
for the business.' So while you can influence behaviour through fear, pressure, force and other 'push'
techniques, this strategy comes at a price.
The cost covers a lot of things but we can actually put a pounds, shillings and pence figure on the biggest
financial burden, namely stress in the workplace.
People don't like being SHOUTED AT and according to research into preventing workplace stress conducted by
Emma Donaldson-Feilder and funded by the HSE, CIPD, and IIP:
"Increasingly, it is recognised that line managers have a central role to play in ensuring positive mental
health/well-being for employees in the workplace."
And why does this matter?
Well for a start it costs UK PLC 14 million working days and over £530 million each year in lost productivity
according to a 2007 HSC report. Not to mention the lost health of over half a million working people.
So be mindful of your duty of care to the people who report to you. We all have plenty of opportunity to
bark, bash and bite but think on. Good leadership is all about inspiring and influencing others to do good
work. While the need to be assertive and take tough decisions is a prerequisite of the job, the need to
build trust is just as important.
It takes years to build trust and seconds to break it.
I'll take my leave with a quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson that says it far better than I can:
"Trust men and they will be true to you; treat them greatly and they will show themselves great."