QUESTION: if you are a leader, is it better to be considered cruel and feared or to be loved and kind?

Answer 1

This Q can also be transport to teacher .
as the one commet says : "there is no black and white " - a good leader always in tuch with his team - and when this is time for being nice and when the time to act in diff. way.
But shortly I can tell you 2 thing of a good leader :
1. LOVEs his team
2.Know his mission - his target .

here are some quots from the TAO TE CHING about a leader .
chapter 17 :
When a Master(ideal leader) takes charge,
hardly anybody notices.
The next best leader
is obeyed out of love.
After that,
there's the leader obeyed out of fear.
The worst leader is one who is hated.

Trust and respect people.
That's how you earn
their trust and respect.

The Masters don't give orders;
they work with everybody else.
When the job's done,
people are amazed
at what they accomplished.

part from ch. 66
People love leaders
who make them feel safe
without smothering them.
They'll always support
a leader like that,
and because he doesn't try
to compete with anybody,
nobody is able to compete with him.

Answer 2

per Machiavelli in his book "The Prince" , "..a wise prince should establish himself on that which is his own control and not in that of others; he must endeavour to avoid hatred, as is noted." He also says "It is best to be both feared and loved; however, if one cannot be both it is better to be feared than loved." There is no black and white answer to this question.. it's a gray area. What Machiavelli says which alot of people mis construe is pretty much tough love ..Think about being a parent if you are one much of the time you are feared and loved at the same time .. not feared as a awful person but respected that your child wants to do right by you and not get grounded!!

Answer 3

The research is overwhelming: loved and kind.

Crueled and feared only works briefly in the short run, and has disastrous consequences in the long run.

I addressed this issue in my book "Leading People the Black Belt Way: Conquering the Five Core Problems Facing Leaders Today."

Answer 4

Obviously Loved and kind, as well as strict at the same time. Otherwise followers become so frank and forget their jobs and responsibilities and do not take their work seriously.
A Leader should have good understanding with his followers and they should know how their leader could react if the job isn't done the way it should had been done.

Answer 5

Cruel & Feared only works for a short time they usually are assassinated. Loved and Kind a Benevolent ruler is usually the best and have longer reigns.

Answer 6

feared and cruel leaders usually do not have followers, rather, they have people who are too afraid to stand up and just following blindly. if anything happens, you would be left to fend for youself.

kind and loved leaders would be accepted easily, and rather as a leader, you would be also treated as a friend. mutual respect and trust is impt to a group if it wants to lead.

Answer 7

Respect means more to a leader than friendship. The time for getting the job done is paramount to perceived slights. Home is where the heart is, not the office.

Answer 8

I doubt that throughout history any leaders have ever been loved, no matter what. & it depends on what part of the world you mean. In some countries the leaders have to exhibit some cruelty & in others not.

Answer 9

If I was a leader, I would weaken others(leaders who want to be leaders) by letting their followers follow me. To do this by paingthem well and honouring them appropriately (according to rank). Scatter followers of others

It is worthy to note that one way to lay my foundations is to eliminate the leaders, make their followers become friends by helping them prosper. When rulers plunder their followers, rather than rule well, the country is full of violence, robbery and fights - there is no union.
Win all gentlemen over to myself. Features of good foundations are boldness, ability, laying firm foundations fast.
For example of all the following actions necessary to secure a new principality...win friends, overcome by force or fraund, make myself loved and feared by people, be followed and admired by their followers, eliminate those with the power or reason to hurt you , change from the old ways to your new order of things , be strict and generous as required, destroy disloyal soldiers, establish loyal soldiers ,have friends in princes and kings that help me with enthusiasm, and are careful not to differ from me, People hurt others out of fear or hatred.

Answer 10

How do you like it when people are cruel to you? Love and kindness go alot further than cruelty. Besides cruel people have a genetic defect in my opinion.