[uast23]

This almost sounds like a comparison between growth of China and India, where China just gets the things done when it needs to while India lags behind trying to gather people's consensus; and I believe that neither of them are correct. Reasons are pretty simple. If you are a bully, things are bound to fall apart sooner or later while if you are a total pushover, you don't even own what you are doing. I have seen both the approaches working and then failing, at work. As a boss, being a bully can only work when you are sure that you have hired the last pieces of talent who did not have any other option. Well, if that is the case then you better be a bully. Otherwise if you have a got an extremely talented programmer whom you want to run on your terms, then it ain't gonna happen. Pushover - this can only work when the boss has got another talented boss in disguise amongst his own workers who actually works and makes the decisions on behalf of him. It happens; but if everyone is unsure and starts making his own decision then failure is inevitable. In fact, contrary to the article, push over boss has a better chance of sharp success in case he finds a brilliant worker who does not hesitate in taking the lead. Of-course that is not going to work for ever, but might work long enough.

Edit: In fact, as I think about it more, a pushover/fair boss does not have a better but a far better chances of succeeding.

1. A pushover boss earns respect because he listens to everyone - Win

2. The probability of finding an extremely talented worker is equal for both kind of bosses - Win

3. The chance of retaining a talent is higher just because he does not interfere much in the work - Win

4. The chance of succeeding the project is higher because he lets other (might be better) people in team make/alter the decision - Win

[sateesh]

Why put the comparison between two countries in our point about leadership styles. Countries are not people , a leader in a corporate setup has a fairly definitive goals (increase revenue) and can hire/fire people. But countries are to be governed so that every one has a equitable choice.

[yxhuvud]

Number 4 has a big caveat in that it requires really good communication skills to make certain everyone understand what the purpose and use case of the product is.