“If I lose this job, I don’t know what we’ll do for food.”
“If you throw me out of the house, I just might kill myself.”
“If you don’t give me this promotion, I’m seriously thinking of leaving the company.”
Threats are not uncommon to leaders. Followers attempt to use them on a regular basis. Here’s what the leader quickly learns: If s/he ever allows himself/herself to be taken hostage, the ransom never gets fully paid.
Instead the leader understands what s/he controls and what s/he doesn’t. This gives him/her the freedom to allow a person to take responsibility for the decisions they’ve made and continue to make. Sometimes those choices have profoundly negative impact on the life of the follower. However, the leader allows the natural consequences to do their work. The wise leader never circumvents the consequences – diluting their life-changing power.
Categories: Conflict Management
Magic Club Leadership Resources 