Why Likable Leaders Seem More Effective

I have valued situational leadership for at least the last 30 years.  In the old days you were put into either a high results or high relationship box and your job would align with that one criteria.  Situational leadership means that you need to shift styles based on the person or situation.  This HBR posts brings some new research to this extremely important subject:

“In late 2007, one of us, Charn, found himself in Camp Buehring, Kuwait, preparing to fly a Kiowa Warrior helicopter over the Iraqi border. Kuwait is a stopover where U.S. soldiers finish all required training just prior to deploying into combat. The only treacherous part of Kuwait is the sand — it is deep and very fine so walking is slow and cumbersome. One morning, as he waded through the sand on the way to the airfield, he saw a sign proclaiming, “We Need Leadership, Not Likership.”

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