Ten Reasons Great Leadership Requires a Head and Heart Connection

Ron McIntyre
4 min readMar 27, 2024

Over the years, I have worked for many great and not-so-great leaders. I will not enumerate them, but trust me, there were a number on both sides. Thankfully, the outstanding ones outnumber the poor leaders.

When I entered management in 1966, the primary thing I determined was to learn every facet of every business I was in, to learn good management from excellent leadership, and to learn what to avoid from poor leadership. I believe I accomplished that. It was challenging but rewarding at the same time. It was well worth the time and effort.

This is a topic that I am passionate about because many times in my career, I have been told that I was too flexible, too forgiving, or did not have the company’s best interest in mind. One leader once told me I did not have the killer instinct to be successful, to which I responded that I preferred not to have a killer instinct except when my life was on the line, and if my life was on the line, I quit.

Outstanding leadership that connects both head and heart is vital for practical, innovative, and inspiring leadership.

Here are my ten reasons why:

  1. Empathy: This is number one because I have tried to live it for 50+ years. Leaders who connect with others can better understand and empathize with…

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Ron McIntyre

Ron McIntyre is a Leadership Anthropologist, Author, and Consultant, who, in semi-retirement, is looking to help people who really want to make a difference.