Is being liked rather than being respected more important to you in leading your business?

From Intuit Small Business Blog.   January 10, 2013

Do you kill your business with kindness?  Are you practicing country club leadership?
Do you like to be liked rather than being respected?  Do you value harmony rather than results.?

Are you a tough or pleasant leader?  Can you be successful as a pleasant likeable leader?

For those who are in the know, effective leaders are tough, and would rather be respected rather than be liked.

There is story about a company whose GM was tolerant of poor quality, tardiness, sloppy employees, and lot of informal unprofessional behavior.  The result was the company soon lost customer because of shoddy products, poor customer service and eventually, the company cash flow stoppped and the company had to close shop. When the GM announced the shutdown, his employees, whom he patronize, asked why.  He told them what happened to which the employees replied:  " We do what you tell us to do.  You are the boss and you are in charge"

Lesson:   Be the leader be the manager that you must be.  Do not abdicate that role and be a kind boss. Be the boss.

Some suggestions:

l.  Meet the problem head on;

2. Play a level playing field;  no favorites;

3.  Stop gossip in any form (watch the skype too) or even politics

4.   If you must be liked, do it outside of the work environment