Being a Good Bad Guy

I'm a professor. And sometimes, my students aren't happy.

This term, for example, I gave a midterm exam. Apparently, I'm the only prof in the department who's committing such a horrible act. This is in addition to a final exam and a research paper, which from what I understand is all the other profs are requiring.

Now, just for the record, I hate grading with a passion. It is the one part of teaching I simply don't enjoy. It's time-consuming, it can lead to hurt feelings, and it makes my head hurt. And did I mention it's time-consuming? Oh yeah, I did.

So I obviously didn't give it just to satisfy some internal urge to inflict pain on them, because I'm inflicting it on myself, too. So why do it?

Well, when I was in grad school I got really nervous in those courses where the only grade was the final exam. I had no idea how I was doing -- at least, in the professor's eyes -- until it was too late to do anything about it. So, I figured this gave my students a chance to check themselves (and also allow me to know if I'm communicating to them as well as I need to) at a relatively low cost if it turns out they're having trouble. It gives them the remaining half of the semester to fix any problems they're having. Also, it lets me see how an exam can go (since this is my first time teaching at this school) and will help me as I write the final exam, which is worth 2 1/2 times what this little test was worth.

To them, I may seem like a "bad guy" because I'm inflicting a test upon them. But to me, that makes me a "good bad guy" since I know it will help them in the end.

So how does this relate to you in your leadership role?

Don't be afraid of "tough love" Few of us want to be the "bad guy," but if you're good at it, able to be effective in your business without creating a poor work environment, that's a leadership skill you can be proud of. In creative businesses you need highly skilled workers, and by identifying and correcting mistakes you can help them develop into better workers in the future.

Be honest about why you're doing things so the lessons can hit home The only way this "tough love" really helps is if your employees understand why it's necessary. Some things aren't always obvious and you may need to explain yourself. Transparency and honesty are important when you're trying to develop your Creatives' abilities.

Encourage solutions rather than just criticizing Avoid being quick to pin blame on someone without offering suggestions of how you can collectively improve next time. Employees will respect you more, and you'll have a better chance of problem-solving, if you try to find solutions.

Be tactful If you have a caustic tone when you approach an employee, you'll immediately put them on the defensive. Speaking down to anyone, especially in front of other people, will reflect worse on you than on the person who made a mistake. Honesty is important, but you don't need to belittle people to make your point.

Worry less about your image and reputation and more about the importance of success Being a leader is not a popularity contest, and you don't need for your employees to be your friends. At the same time, don't purposely try to get a reputation as a super-harsh boss, as you'll alienate employees and make it less likely they'll come to you with a problem on their own. Balance your style in a way that brings success.

Don't be a jerk just because you can Employees want, and deserve, to be treated with respect. Don't abuse your authority, but instead, use it to the extent necessary for success. Firing someone by e-mail, for instance, causes your other employees to wonder just what kind of leader you are and if perhaps they'll be treated the same way.

By the way...it's OK to be the good guy, too, when things go well. Being able to switch back and forth also allows your employees to read you better if they know how you display your different moods.

It's very challenging to be a "bad guy" in a creative field. Many Creatives have a strong pride of authorship and take personally any challenge to their abilities or to the work they produce. But your job is to turn out the best possible product or service, so you need to be willing and able to wade into that uncomfortable swamp of correcting, reprimanding, and occasionally even firing, to make that happen.

If all else fails, give 'em a midterm