Leadership Can Be a Tricky Balance

You have probably worked for some really great bosses.

Yeah.

And probably for some who weren't so great.

Well yes, maybe.

What are the top two not so effective ways to lead?

I only get to pick two?

We only have an hour.

The first...I don't do bullies at all. Mean is not something that I respond well to at all. So the people who belittle, who insult, who act like you're stupid. And I have to say there are a lot of those men particularly in the news business I have to say. And that's kind of rewarded, that aggressiveness seems to have been rewarded over time. And I just, I don't, I can't tolerate that at all. And I think if you asked anyone that works at the Chronicle they would say that I'm tough, but I'm very clear. And I also have that, you know, side where you have to lift people up.

The second thing I think is really ineffective is the bosses who are frustrated with you, and they can't articulate why. Or won't articulate why. That is really, I think, a problem, because if you can't be straight with somebody about what their flaws are...I really think everybody wants to succeed. And sometimes you can't see what's in your own blind spot. And so I think bosses who can't do that are really... can be destructive.

And communication is so important right? Because of you don't tell that person you're also not giving that person an opportunity to course correct, to be better.

Absolutely, and I've been course corrected more times than I might care to admit

No!

And I really like that, because if you tell me I'm doing something, like, I will fix it.