That is what someone told me a few months ago at work when I was disgruntled about something. But is it true? Not always, according to this article that I read on CNN.com this morning.
According to the article, people that are courteous, trusting, good-natured, cooperative and tolerant don't always make the best managers because "being too nice can deter your career progress and muddle your effectiveness as a leader." I agree that it's probably not possible to be a best friend AND a boss to your employees, but I also don't fully agree with the article's definition of "nice."
The article defined someone as nice if they are trusting of others as well as likable (good-natured, cheerful, gentle), nurturing, sympathetic, supportive and agreeable. They argue that people with these traits may be push-overs, afraid to rock the boat and worried about what other people think. Sure, nice people might have these characteristics, but I also think being nice means genuinely caring about people, being someone people like to talk to and confide in, and being a good listener, which I think are all good qualities in a leader or manager.
In my organizational management class this semester, we've been discussing why some managers are great and some are not so great. One trait in a good manager is the ability to recognize an employee's strengths and encourage an employee to use them in work-related tasks, so that they can feel successful. One of the ways to learn an employee's strengths is by taking a vested interest in them, asking questions and really listening to their answers. Isn't that also something that a nice person does?
So, does the cream always float to the top?
1 comment:
This is good - I agree with you. I'm doing research on women in management and have come across other articles like that. "Nice" doesn't necessarily mean "push-over."
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