Gentleness in Leadership

When we say leader we normally equate this with someone who has a swashbuckling personality. They are people who standout among the many because they dare to assume leadership positions when no one dares. They admonish their subordinates not only based on their position of leadership but it’s also rooted on the strength of their character and personality.  

How about gentleness? Does it have a place in a leader’s exercise of his leadership functions especially in the area of discipline? It has a place but this is something that many leaders tend to overlook because they have more bias with the strong personality of a leader. Rather than its gentle and humble character trait. 

One of the specific areas where we could fully utilize gentleness in leadership is during imposition of discipline. There are leaders who impose discipline based on the strength of their position and their bloated egos. They do this by personally berating the erring individual/s and this has become their usual practice already.

However, gentleness does more than strength of character and bloated egos. It has been proven time and again that a person is more open to change his ways for the better when we talk to them with gentleness rather than talk to them based on the strength of our character vis-à-vis with our authority.

 For example when we approach an erring person with gentleness he/she is more open to change and there is less resistance. Rather than approach them with our authority coupled with our bloated egos.

For a change why not try gentleness in leadership?  - Marino J. Dasmarinas