Do you need to be guilty to be a great boss?

Guilt pangs and neuroticism are the marks of a great leader in the making, Francis Flynn says. Managers who feel guilty tend to be more hard-working and conscientious, Flynn argues, and are better at biting the bullet and dismissing workers who have outlived their usefulness. "They feel it's their job to be 'good soldiers,' and if that means laying off a few to protect the interests of the many, that's what they'll do," Flynn said.

http://hbr.org/2011/01/defend-your-research-guilt-ridden-people-make-gre...