— To follow is a bullet of wisdom on leadership. It comes from Tom’s rifle, named Shot, who has seen it all. You’ll get the drift by clicking Blog in the menu at www.tomnewhouse.com. —
THAT’S NOT A COMPLIMENT. Coming from Rudy, my marksman, it meant you were not physically up to your task. Whether wrestling steers for branding, tossing hay bales all day, or toting two six-gallon milk pails to feed calves, to be called soft meant you were not conditioned for the work. It was a description for townies only, and to be called such hurt.
Some so called leaders are soft. Now, I don’t mean in physical ways. I mean they are not up to the task. They need to toughen up. Whether it’s a low-performing employee that needs to be cut loose, or a recalcitrant customer who requires straightforward communication, or a proposal that calls for extraordinary effort, leaders rise to the challenge. They do the hard things. They may be gentle in manner, but they still show strength.