A leader should never want to be “over the top” when it comes to leading a staff, but sometimes the path of least resistance leads to contentment. At certain times I really believe proper leadership is the understanding when and when not to stand up for certain things among the group. It is up to us to determine when that is appropriate and beneficial to the group and we should never do it for the sole purpose of pounding our chests. Interesting quote that makes you think a little….
“Being responsible sometimes means pissing people off.”
Good leadership involves responsibility to the welfare of the group, which means that some people will get angry at your actions and decisions. It’s inevitable, if you’re honorable. Trying to get everyone to like you is a sign of mediocrity: you’ll avoid the tough decisions, you’ll avoid confronting the people who need to be confronted, and you’ll avoid offering differential rewards based on differential performance because some people might get upset. Ironically, by procrastinating on the difficult choices, by trying not to get anyone mad, and by treating everyone equally “nicely” regardless of their contributions, you’ll simply ensure that the only people you’ll wind up angering are the most creative and productive people in the organization.