Harriet Rubin has a keen eye for ambiguity. I’ve recently had the opportunity to observe my own behavior in the presence of a ‘tough boss.’ I think she’s right that people do want to see leaders be tough, but I don’t think it leads to great business results. The parent-child relationship is popular but not profitable.

USATODAY.com – Nasty bosses back in vogue.

Pleasure and pain
I began to suspect that the system demands it. Not just the corporate system, the human system. Subordinates don’t want niceness. They think they want it. But they are really in it for the S&M, not the M&Ms. It’s human response: Leadership is a big parent telling you what to do. Pleasure and pain feed one another. That’s why power is thrilling at both ends of the stick and why the best moment in The Apprentice is Donald Trump saying in a voice like a paddle: "You’re fired!" Thanks, sir, may I have another? It would be great if nice bosses were, bottom line, more effective than abusers. But it’s not clear that they are.