What But Also How

It was a fun scene in one of the early James Bond movies: two baddies are standing before the chief baddie, who is calmly sitting behind his desk stroking his white cat. The two underlings are nervous yet doing their best not to show it. After all, they are with "the boss" and are eager to show they know what they are doing, have everything under control, etc. It is clear the big boss  has his concerns and is deciding which one of the two employees he should trust. Finally, he makes his decision by pushing a button under his desk. The floor underneath one of the employees opens up and that unfortunate soul falls into a pool of hungry sharks. So much for his Christmas bonus.

Leading by fear is certainly one way to guide others. I have worked in that kind of environment as have many others. It is not fun and, ironically, does not bring out the best in employees. Instead of trying to be creative or show initiative, workers tend to do only what is expected of them for fear of being punished if what they attempt does not go completely well. Further, leading by fear compromises any sense of team spirit among workers because they are much too busy looking out for themselves. Their own survival is what is most important rather than the greater good of the organization itself.

A more effective to lead revolves around providing workers with greater moral support. The better able the boss is able to communicate support for and confidence in those who he or she oversees, the more likely the workers are able to be the best they can be or at least try to be. I have worked in that kind of environment, too, and it is the opposite of functioning in a fear-driven atmosphere. This revolves around the kind of message that is communicated by the of person in-charge. More than the specific message itself, organizations are also successful based on how the boss communicates. That means no more pool of sharks.