episode 4 - the word is tug

Welcome to Episode 4 of ‘The Word is Leadership’ where, once again, Emmanuel Gobillot picks a random word to improvise a leadership lesson. With a new jingle in place, the random word this week is tug. A word which finally presents an opportunity to define what leadership is.

Using tug of war and tug boats to illustrate McGregor's Theory X and Y of management and motivation, Emmanuel challenges our assumption, by highlighting the power of employees. With his central argument that leadership is about creating the conditions for others to positively engage with a goal, he encourages leaders to shift from a focus on forceful tugging to the creation of a gravitational tug that motivates employees to exert their power willingly and positively.

Once again, ‘The Word is Leadership’ continues its exploration of leadership dynamics, this time using the word tug as a springboard to examine the essence of human motivation.