Welcome to the Claar's!

What makes a good leader of company? Well, I expect a good leader to be there during the hard times and the good times, shoulder to shoulder with the people who are doing the grunt work. I don't expect the leader to be absent on vacation during difficult periods. I expect that leaders model behavior that they want in their employees. If they want employees to tough things out through the hard times, then by golly, leaders should tough it out during the hard times, too. Not take off for Europe when layoffs are happening. Not refuse to talk to "the troops" when it's clear to even those who are deaf, dumb and blind that Rome is burning and the Romans are looking for guidance.

When a leader chooses to duck responsibility and avoid difficult things, then a couple of things happen. People who should never lead become the de facto leaders. Furthermore, when the top lacks testosterone, they never stand up to those de facto leaders, and Rome continues to burn.

Sure, you can buy beer and ice cream and be Santa Claus to your buddies. You can even give your cronies raises, bonuses and promotions when Lord knows other people deserve a slice of the credit, too. But if you don't have the guts enough to be there when times are hard, then you're just a fake. Period.