Leaders Leading and Managers Managing

I managed to talk to the leader who sent out the email yesterday. Her responses to my questions were enlightening:
"I know about all the work being done but it was taking far too long"(Urgency and action bias)
"I hadn't heard anything for ages about what was happening in OD, they had just dropped off the planet as far as I was concerned" (Stakeholder management and different perceptions of time)
"Someone had to move things quickly. The company is in a bad state. I saw the last quarters figures. We don't have time to parp about." (Action bias, possibly regression fallacy, certainly lack of emotional resilience - panic)
"The effect? To motivate people I hope and get things moving" (Assumptions of cause and effect)
"Well we do need to shed a load of people. This way we will see who gives up and who floats to the top." (Concept of motivation)
"Nothing really, it's like all leadership decisions - you make it up as you go along. You do whatever you think is right at the time. I am sorry but we don't have time for all that fluffy stuff. We need to move and now." (To the question about how she developed as a leader and learnt to make decisions).
"Yes I suppose I could have done it differently or even better, but if we don't do something now it will be too late. I can see that it was a bit harsh and maybe a bit of a reaction to the figures but someone has to grip this."
"Well they are just going to have to get on with it aren't they? That's what we pay them all for."


Interestingly this has happened at a moment when we are just getting some initial results from some research into management and leadership development which makes for interesting reading coming next and then we will get back to the showers...