Leading with Enthusiasm not Fear

Fear and anger speak to things beyond our control

Marcus Aurelius Distributing Bread to the People by Joseph-Marie Vien, 1785 - Wikimedia Commons (public domain)

“Dread attends the unknown.” — Nadine Gordimer, 1998

Can you remember the managers you worked for who inspired you the most? What stands out about them?

We all seek different things with our teams, so your mileage will vary. But I’ll bet you thought about someone who supported you, who took the time to understand your challenges, who gave you responsibility, and the room to fail and to learn from those failures.

Now what about the other kind of manager—the kind you might not have enjoyed?

Perhaps it was the micromanager, or someone who pressured you with unrealistic deadlines, or who took credit for your good work, or barked orders without rolling up his sleeves.

The juxtaposition of those two types of managers is the difference between a boss and a leader.