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meting out consequences; and they change direction according to the needs and wishes of the last person in their office. In a word, they have no edge!
    Somewhere between the two extremes—and probably much closer to the hard end than the soft—are bosses who define the notion of tough the right way, and because of that manage to get strong, long-term performance from their people. It is not too much to say that these kinds of bosses are actually the heroes of business, not the villains. They might not make everyone feel warm and fuzzy, but their good results create a healthy, fair work environment where people and the company prosper, job security for employees who perform well, and value for shareholders. What more could you want?
    To these types of bosses, tough means tough-minded . They set clear, challenging goals. They connect those goals with specific performance expectations. They conduct frequent, rigorous performance reviews. They reward results accordingly, with the most praise and the highest bonuses going to the most effective contributors, and commensurate compensation levels down the line, ending with nothing for nonstarters. They are relentlessly candid, letting everyone know where they stand and how the business is doing. Every single day, good tough bosses stretch people. They ask for a lot and they expect to get it.
    Does that make them hard to work for? Of course! But here’s where individual performance comes into play. If you’re up to the challenge, working for a tough boss can be incredibly energizing, as you achieve in ways you never thought you could. But if a tough boss raises the bar to a point that you are out of your league, then you’re likely to hate the experience. And thanks to human nature, chances are you won’t blame yourself—you’ll blame the “tough” boss.
    A perfect example of this dynamic in action is Bob Nardelli, CEO of The Home Depot, and a good tough boss—demanding, to be sure, but fair, transparent, and results focused.
    In a recent Business Week article lauding Bob’s five-year turnaround at Home Depot, the usual “other side of the story” came in the form of complaints from former company executives, who claimed that Bob had created an oppressive “culture of fear” at the company. Note that these executives—none of whom agreed to be identified—no longer work at the company. You have to wonder why they left.
    Was it because Bob was too “tough”?
    Or was it because his tough-mindedness created performance standards they could not meet?
    We bet on the latter. The point is: there are good tough bosses and bad ones, and which is which is often in the eye of the beholder.
    Again, we’re clearly not talking here about the egregious cases of jerk bosses who berate, belittle, and beat up their people. Everyone hates them, and they deserve their universal loathing.
    We’re talking about bosses who operate in the middle ground—bosses who are tough but fair, push hard but reward in equal measure, and who give it to you straight.
    Weak performers usually wish these bosses would go away.
    People who want to win seek them out.

THE ULTIMATE VALUES TEST
     
 
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    For the past two years, I have managed “Charles,” who consistently delivers the numbers. He also alienates everyone by playing favorites, being arrogant, and acting secretive. Part of me wants to fire the guy. The other part can’t imagine living without him. Your advice?
     
    — GREAT NECK, NEW YORK
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    C onfront him, and then fire him if he refuses to change. Because if you have ever opened your mouth at work and praised values like fairness, transparency, and information sharing, you have to. By stark contrast, to let Charles stay is to inform your employees that everything you say is meaningless drivel.
    Look, if you want certain behaviors from your people, and you advocate for them as part of a winning approach to business and life, then you have to reward the people who demonstrate