So now...

I have finished Goleman's focus on dissonant styles such as pacesetting and commanding. He indicates these elements to leadership can be beneficial, but only at the empathetic need of his/her followers.

The pacesetting style talks about a leader that has high expectations and requirements of his subordinates to feel the same. Goleman expects that all people equate their job to being as interchangeable as tight jeans or nylons--if they become uncomfortable, then find something else to wear! What he misses in this is the individual element of value. Not everyone sees their job, equally. Some look at it as a paycheck, others a do-or-die situation. If the other elements of leadership are in play, such as listed in the previous post, it becomes diluted to assume that everyone responds equally. Some people need stress and uncomfortability to perform! The research he provides gives some 'no duh' elements, but it is weak on over-generalizing.

Goleman even touches on the command style of the military, suggesting it is more 'teamwork' oriented. Tell that to a Marine. Command channels dictate life or death, there is no question, nor empathy, let alone time to interplay between commander and soldier.

What Goleman needs to address is the survival aspects for people in the workforce. He touches on this very little. If a person gauges survival by their job, then their performance isn't motivated by an open-eared CEO. These people do because they feel they have to, especially when economies are bad. Goleman throws away the external motivators for empathetic listening and self-awareness. Some people are all about the external! How do you address their needs?

I have to apologize. When I read generalizations like this book, I have a hard time accepting the data collected is based on teams of people feeling and performing based on Goleman's principles. People are individualistic and complex. Ok...moving on!

Chapter 5, dissonant styles. Simple words from me: sometimes you just have to do your job to the best of your ability without validation or soft ear. Sometmes you have to work just because your locus of control, work ethic, and/or survival mechanism requires you to do your best, regardless of a leader with innate and acquired skills of perception and charisma.