The difference is between leadership and being an authority. the difference between a place of strength and weakness. The difference between confidence and insecurity. Effective leaders choose a commanding experience. One filled with other "c" words like cooperation, community, consciousness, creativity and commitment.
The no-nonsense style of leadership seems to be outdated and ineffective now. Don't get me wrong, there are times when this leadership style needs to take center stage as long as it is not the only leadership style you use. Emphasis on community and shared leadership has proven to be successful nowadays. Instead of telling people what to do, it is more empowering to have them participate in the process. Naturally the style and strategies of leadership relates back to the followers, participants, the organizational context, the nature of the goals being pursued and the leaders themselves. There is much benefit to having many styles and strategies as opposed to only one.
Creating an environment of safety (on all levels including emotional safety) and trust takes cooperation and time. Leaders set the tone. Would you like everyone to work from fear or love, be on edge or be calm, be defenders or be present, engage in unhealthy or healthy competition. Building authority takes you one way and being a well rounded leader in another.
"Leadership is a choice, not a rank."-Simon Sinek discusses this in his TED Talk on why good leaders make you feel safe. I agree, I believe in leadership not authority. Being an authority provokes fear and in this position you may not have followers nor believers. Sinek goes on to talk about how feelings provoke trust and cooperation and how the environment influences your type of leadership. I believe this to be true as well. Whether you feel safe or not at work, it will show.
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