No Risk, No Reward

Intimidation limits opportunity. For any organization to be truly successful, the senior executives must learn of all opportunities, including those that involve significant risk. If you rule by intimidation, it eliminates calculated risk taking, because people fear incurring your wrath and will not present you with options that involve any risk of failure, according to Ron Gafford, CEO of the construction giant Austin Industries in Texas. "I have seen organizations where people were just so reticent to make a mistake that they refused to capitalize on opportunities," Gafford notes. Similarly, Sam Fox of the Harbour Group believes that "people will not take calculated risks" if they believe they will be severely criticized. Consequently, if you rule by intimidation, you are limiting the opportunities that you and your organization will have to make money.