One thing seemingly consistent in much of todayâs leadership articles and groups is that âcommand & controlâ has become outdated as popular descriptors of good leadership. In its place are many other descriptors of good leadership including, empathetic, sympathetic, understanding, in-touch, humble, etc. And while all of these descriptors are important for the effective leader, there still is this flight away from using either âcommandâ or âcontrolâ as a descriptor. In many ways, it seems that a leader cannot and should not be commanding or controlling. Perhaps this is reflective of an increasingly politically correct environment where such words can evoke negative connotations.
Yet, a good leader must have elements of âcommand and controlâ to be truly effective. Letâs consider someone put in a leadership position (which does not automatically make them a leader). Is this person in command of themselves? Are they in control of their emotions, the way they talk and act, the way they react to stress and/or change and the way they present themselves to their managers, colleagues and reports? Is this person the Pilot in Command of their own selves? Can one truly be an effective leader of others without being able to effectively lead themselves?
Tune in to ‘Leadership Takeoff‘
