Nice leaders vs. strong leaders; both are needed, but nobody needs strongmen

This image popped up on my LinkedIn feed, on an insightful post by Jeroen Kraaijenbrink that argues that strong leaders are also needed, perhaps even more, in some situations.

I agree. One problem is that some people who consider themselves to be a strong leader, actually are:

🎇 Visible above everything else, and espousing “rules for thee but not for me”.

🐂 Decisive and daring, but without basing decisions on actual facts, i.e. shooting from the hip while deauthorizing others and ignoring or coopting their contributions.

🥴 Sharp in spirit and in tongue, and making tough choices, however with lose/lose/lose outcomes, especially in the long run.

🙅 Challenging others but with little openness to being challenged themselves, and driving relentlessly with no empathy or grokking that not everyone has the same skin in the game as they do.

😈 Strong-headed instead of strong, and trying to leverage what they wish their strengths were, while leaving weaknesses open like gaping holes.

⚰️ Ambitious at the expense of others and even at the expense of the organization itself, and persistent without regard for collateral damage.

So yes, we do need strong leaders (sometimes), not those who equate “strong” with “dictatorial”.