Grace Under Pressure: The Power of Decency in Leadership

Grace Under Pressure: The Power of Decency in
Leadership

By Desiree Grace

We’ve lost some great leaders in the electrical industry lately, people of real accomplishment and longevity. But what has me reflecting most is not just what they achieved, but how they did it. What stands out most is their decency.

Leadership and decency are not mutually exclusive. You can be both a great leader and a decent human being.

One of these leaders took the reins of a company after the founder retired. He grew the business, expanded into new sectors and geographies, and had a profound impact on the industry, the customers, the employees, and the communities where the business operated. He also had a personal impact. He was, as you would expect, highly intelligent. But more than that, he was polite, professional, and decent, with a dry sense of humor. Even in hard times, like during layoffs and pay cuts, he conducted himself with grace and a clear moral compass.

Another leader comes to mind—a woman who built her company with grit, hard work, conviction, and optimism. She, too, expanded into new geographies and made difficult decisions. She made it a point to serve our industry, to mentor others, and to pay it forward. Always professional, always warm, always decent.

The common thread here is decency.

Maybe you’ve worked with a human bulldozer, someone who plows over people and ideas with no regard for the damage left behind. Or maybe a human rocket ship—someone who flies off the handle at the slightest provocation, leaving people tiptoeing past their office, hoping to avoid the fallout. These stereotypes may be effective in some metrics, but they’re not decent, at least not at work.

All of us face hard decisions in our work lives. We encounter differing viewpoints and conflicting objectives. Sometimes we need constructive conflict. Sometimes tough negotiations are required. Maybe your end-user moves to a different distributor, and you still need to maintain professional relationships. Maybe you need to give someone difficult feedback to help them grow. The examples are endless.

But here’s the key: your reputation follows you across roles, departments, and companies. So think hard: Do you want to be remembered as a bulldozer, a rocket ship… or something better?

No matter how hard or frustrating a day may be, we have a choice. We can still be polite, professional, and considerate while pursuing our goals and doing what’s right for our organizations.

Let’s choose to follow the example of the leaders who behaved with decency.

Next time you're in a tough situation, make the choice: be decent.

Desiree Grace is a seasoned executive and industry advocate with a passion for leadership, mentorship, and doing business the right way. With decades of experience in the electrical and industrial sectors, she’s known not only for her strategic insight but for her integrity, empathy, and unwavering professionalism. Desiree believes that decency is not a soft skill—it’s a leadership essential.

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