A school district in Pennsylvania recently sent letters to families who had not paid for their kids’ school lunches and the letters essentially read: “Pay up or we’ll take your kids away.”
This story reminded me of all the managers who once told subordinates who were struggling to meet a business goal: “You better meet this goal or I’ll find someone else who can.”
In either case, the better move is to ask: “What can I do to help?”
Any leader would know this if they simply asked themselves: “Who do I want to be?”
The Ethical Leader 