Should a Leader be Loved or Feared?

An interesting question was raised during The Salon’s discussion on The Prince by Niccolò Machiavelli last week: Would you rather be feared or loved? Though the book was written over 500 years ago, the question can nevertheless be applied to many situations today, including the workplace.

Machiavelli argued that it is better to be feared if you cannot be both, since fear encourages obedience through dread of punishment, while love can be taken advantage of. Some preferred one over the other, but most of the participants (including a mother!) agreed that they would have a more balanced attitude when dealing with someone, i.e. begin with ‘love’ and then shift to a more aggressive tactic if they felt they were being taken for granted.
 
Personally, I think they’re both extremes and that it’s better to be respected. What about you? As a leader or a manger, which approach do you think is more effective with employees and would bring in results?

To get more insights on leadership and creative entrepreneurship, I encourage you to attend this month’s Startup Grind with Farah Al-Humaidhi, the uber-talented founder of Pieces by Farah.

While reading up on Photoshop techniques, I came across some posts titled ‘What not to say to a graphic designer’ that I’m sure every graphic designer can relate to, like: “I’ve sent you the logo in Word format, is that okay?” and “Low resolution? It looks okay on my screen…” Too few non-designers realize there’s a lot more to designing and visual branding than choosing a fancy font, err.. typeface, and a pretty background colour, and not all entrepreneurs may be able to turn to a designer for help. And since your company’s visual appeal can play a deciding role in attracting customers, it’s worth investing in some first-hand knowledge. If you’re a designer rookie, our Adobe Photoshop workshop with experienced instructor Ahmed Waheib will equip you with the skills you need.

Until next time!

Zainab Mirza
Community Outreach & Grammar Officer