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The Dichotomy of Leadership describes opposing forces that are pulling leaders in contradictory directions at the same time. Any trait, technique, or attitude can easily go too far in one direction or the other. To lead properly, a leader must be balanced.

For example, leaders must talk, but if they talk too much, they overwhelm their subordinates with information. On the other hand, if they talk too little, the troops aren't properly informed. So the leader has to balance between talking too much and talking too little. A leader must be aggressive, but if they are too aggressive, they might expose themselves to unnecessary risk. Contrarily, if they are not aggressive enough, they will never make progress. So once again, a leader has to be balanced. This list of dichotomies goes on indefinitely, and the answer is always that a leader must maintain balance.

Author: & Jocko Willink
reference: { Leadership, Strategies, and Tactics
Reference: Willink, J. (2020). Leadership strategy and tactics: Field manual. New York: St. Martins Press.
tags: #leadership #business