Work takes place in a harsh environment, in a way it’s its nature. There is a task that needs to be executed and that doesn’t wait for us to be wanting it or enjoying it. For some tasks, it will be less like that and for others, it will be more like that.

Doing a good job as a leader isn’t about transforming the task so that it becomes easy, nice, or simple to do it. It is about being able to care for the individual as well as for the work that has to be done.

What this describes is, that even if work itself happens in a harsh environment the place where the work is done will not necessarily be a harsh place too.

People tend to see them as the same where they aren’t. That’s because they see everything that happens in the workplace as in service of the work. They build up structures to care with the intention to enhance performance. They give feedback to help people do a better job.

The alternative is to care for both, the people and the work. It’s to be attentive to the relationship with others and to be professional in the work one does.

People feel the difference.