Look around at the news today, and you’ll see traditional models of leadership breaking down at every level. Geopolitical conflicts are fraught with erratic posturing, college athletics is reeling from the chaos of the transfer portal and NIL deals, and corporate boardrooms are plagued by either toxic micromanagement or conflict-averse passivity.
Too many leaders believe they only have two choices: play the ruthless jerk to get results, or play the passive diplomat and watch standards slip. But in an era of constant crisis, “fake toughness”—ego, fear, and performative hardness—isn’t strength. It’s insecurity.
