Supervising Versus Leading

An interesting question was raised in The New York Times the other day: "Can a lousy boss make a good leader?" (I am paraphrasing here.) The question was triggered by reports of a declared presidential candidate who is not viewed with much regard by a number of her staff members. The person, whose name I am purposely omitting, was described as being short-tempered, highly-impatient, insensitive and, at times, even verbally and physically abusive. Ouch. I have to assume that this politician had little if any clue that many of her staff members carried around these feelings about her. Whether that would have caused her not to run for the presidency is probably something none of us will ever know.

Interestingly, this same person's staff appears to enjoy a solid reputation in terms of being viewed as quite efficient and professional in meeting their many responsibilities and serving their boss. How much of this boss' behavior contributes to the efficiency of the staff? Are they as good as they are because she is the kind of boss many seem to think? If she were "nicer," would their performances be as positive as they apparently are? Looking at this from a communication perspective, one begins with identifying those elements that help make for effective communicating. In a nutshell, they include such ingredients as respect, listening, empathy, articulation and mindfulness. Based on how she has been described by staff members, is this boss an effective communicator?

Overall, no. Yes, she certainly seems to get across her messages. But when it comes to effective communicating, the "how" is as important - if not more so - than the "what." Consequently, staff members may be carrying out their duties but they do not seem to be doing so in an atmosphere of appreciation, respect or regard. Given that, how can any one do their work to the fullest of their abilities on a sustained basis? They can't. None of us can. Good leaders, by definition, bring out the best in their followers. In such an environment, my assessment is this candidate as a boss is not leading her employees all that well. How realistic, then, is the possibility that she will be a truly effective leader of our nation?