A recent MIT Sloan Management Review article, titled ‘Five Leadership Lessons for ‘Tough’ CEOs’, seems to be making a differentiation between tough and strong/human-centric leaders. It holds valuable reminders in the current environment, where backward steps seem to be taken frequently.

Selected notes from the article:

* Pre-pandemic, research had built compelling cases for human-centric leadership. This data was reinforced during the crisis as many businesses survived despite dire circumstances. Today, we’re seeing central corporate command try to reassert control to reinstitute old norms.
* Tough-talking leaders often fail to appreciate that reliability – the foundation of trust – is what builds results.
* Tough CEOs don’t recognize the value of human-centered leaders who tap into their emotional intelligence as much as their intellectual intelligence to deepen relationships in all the ways that improve workers’ performance.

Five Lessons for Tough Talkers From Strong Leaders
1. Tough leaders mistakenly think empathizing means giving in, but it doesn’t. Human-centered leaders empathize to better communicate and collaborate. Empathizing means connecting with what others are thinking and feeling. It’s the skill that cultivates safe spaces for creativity, builds strong team alliances, and gets to clarity on issues.
2. Human-centric leaders aren’t soft about employees’ performance. They don’t ask for less. Instead, they set clear goals and priorities. They monitor progress at the team and individual levels. And they align work with employees’ identified strengths and skills. Human-centered leaders check in regularly with team members to coach them and course-correct as circumstances evolve. They cultivate the fundamentals for exceptional performance, including a sense of belonging, by emphasizing outcomes.
3. Tough-talking leaders often fail to appreciate that reliability – the foundation of trust – is what builds results. A study conducted by i4cp found that organizations where people trusted their leaders were 11 times more likely to be high performers.
4. Strong leaders recognize that one size does not fit all. Each team’s purpose and realities are adjusted for and can be modified when business conditions and the needs of both the company and team members change.
5. Even in our fast-changing world, tough-talking leaders won’t admit to ever being wrong – despite unprecedented uncertainties. Evidence from Berkeley Haas professor Jennifer Chatman shows that such leaders cause long-lasting damage to organizations through reduced collaboration and integrity.

Challenging the tough-leader persona is essential for managing talent through volatility and ambiguity. Leaders need to nurture a sense of belonging to support strong performance.

Source: Five Leadership Lessons for ‘Tough’ CEOs; Brian Elliott and Sophie Wade; June 16, 2025; MIT Sloan Management Review