{"id":23702,"date":"2020-03-26T03:25:59","date_gmt":"2020-03-26T09:25:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/corevalues.com\/?p=23702"},"modified":"2020-03-26T03:25:59","modified_gmt":"2020-03-26T09:25:59","slug":"is-it-better-to-be-feared-than-loved","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/corevalues.com\/dev\/2020\/03\/26\/is-it-better-to-be-feared-than-loved\/","title":{"rendered":"Is It Better To Be Feared Than Loved?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"is<\/a>According to Niccolo Machiavelli, it is much safer to be feared than loved.\u00a0 Around the year 1512, Machiavelli was imprisoned for allegedly conspiring against the new ruler, Lorenzo de Medici.\u00a0 To win his favor, he wrote a book, The Prince<\/em>, outlining the best ways to rule a principality and hold onto power.\u00a0 It was a controversial book \u2013 one that sparks debate to this day — is it better to be feared than loved?.<\/p>\n

The book is of course, centuries-old but the ideas and issues presented remain relevant for today\u2019s leaders.\u00a0 Is it better for a prince (leader) to be loved or feared? Machiavelli says that it’s better to be both.\u00a0 But since this is almost impossible to achieve, a leader is better off being feared than loved.\u00a0 \u201c … because men are ungrateful, fickle, and greedy …\u201d<\/em> According to the book, friendships forged by rewards cannot be depended upon in times of adversity.<\/p>\n

Do you agree? Is it better to be feared than loved?<\/h4>\n

In the 70s, corporations valued loyalty above all things.\u00a0 They saw it as a two-way street. IBM demanded stern loyalty in return for lifetime employment.\u00a0 In the 80s, things took a different turn.\u00a0 It was a time of downsizing, outsourcing, and reengineering. And so concern for employees\u2019 well-being took a backseat to almost everything.<\/p>\n

Since then, the trend was to streamline and prune.\u00a0 The threat of future cuts kept everyone on their toes.<\/p>\n

Fast forward to 2014, and some startling incident grabs the headlines.\u00a0 Workers of the Market Basket food market chain were on strike.<\/p>\n

But they weren\u2019t demanding higher wages.\u00a0 They weren\u2019t picketing on the streets for unfair labor practices or union-busting.<\/p>\n

Instead, some 300 employees were resorting to industrial action because they wanted their CEO, Arthur T. Demoulas back.\u00a0 Demoulas was ousted by a hostile board of directors.\u00a0 When he was fired, six high-level managers resigned as well.\u00a0 Employees refused to return to work under threat that they would be fired.\u00a0 And guess what\u2026 they took the risk and carried on with the rallies.<\/p>\n

It was unheard of<\/h4>\n

It seems like a quixotic thing to do.\u00a0 But it’s as real as real can get.\u00a0 Just what did Arthur T. Demoulas (who was fondly called Artie T) do to be loved this much?\u00a0 The pay wasn\u2019t significantly more than similarly situated supermarket chains.<\/p>\n

For one, under his leadership, good benefits were provided. Part-Time employees could look forward to a Christmas bonus and tuition assistance.\u00a0 Second, line employees saw career growth.\u00a0 It was possible to get promoted to tasks of authority.<\/p>\n

But more importantly, they could see that Artie T genuinely cared.\u00a0 When he would visit stores, he\u2019d make it a point to ask about employees\u2019 families.\u00a0 And on those instances when the economy was in a slump, the company didn\u2019t resort to cutting down wages or closing stores to preserve profit margins.<\/p>\n

He was a loved leader<\/h4>\n

Becoming Tigers \u2013 Leading Your Team to Success<\/a>, discusses this kind of genuine respect and concern.\u00a0 The 7th<\/sup> chapter, in particular, talks about how genuineness starts with the leader.<\/p>\n

When a person of authority is genuine, he\/she will naturally attract like minds.\u00a0 You get what you give. And the best part is, respectfully sincere, frank and forthright behavior\u00a0 has a habit of spreading.<\/p>\n

This lesson is a focal point of the book. \u00a0The book centers on the adventures of two tigers, Kali and Ashoka \u2013 two leaders who have the same goals and similarly-abled tribe members, yet one seemed to govern better than the other.\u00a0 One was loved and respected.\u00a0 The other was feared and hated. Why is there even a difference?\u00a0 And why won\u2019t the \u201chated\u201d leader simply change his management style?<\/p>\n

The captivating story may be one filled with wild animals, but the parallelism to real life is remarkable.\u00a0 We do have leaders who lead by fear as much as leaders who lead by being loved and respected.\u00a0 One could always argue, \u201cwhatever works\u201d.\u00a0 But then\u2026 for how long?\u00a0 And what consequences does fear bring when the going gets tough? Will your team members be in the trenches with you? Or will they up and leave?<\/p>\n

Fear breeds resentment and distrust \u2013 not respect. When good deeds aren\u2019t acknowledged and when bad deeds are always brought to fore, nobody will want to speak up or contribute for fear of being shamed and humiliated.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a basic human trait that many leaders seem to forget.<\/p>\n

Whichever leadership style you choose, you will want to take a leaf from Becoming Tigers \u2013 Leading Your Team to Success<\/a>\u2019 pages. Team members and employees thrive when they feel valued.\u00a0 They cannot feel valued when they are ruled with fear.<\/p>\n

Care to dig deeper?\u00a0 Is It Better To Be Feared Than Loved?<\/h4>\n

The following resources add to this discussion:<\/p>\n