There’s a reason the phrase “to be railroaded” means to be coerced or forced into something against your will. The term emerged in the 1870s from how railroads were built—running straight through whatever stood in their way, with speed and disregard for obstacles. It was about unstoppable momentum in a single direction, regardless of the impact. SMART-TD even suggested the phrase came from “…when the rail companies stole land in order to lay down new track.”
Given our industry’s history and strong presence of military veterans finding meaningful work in rail, it’s not surprising that command-and-control leadership became deeply embedded in our culture. But here’s what I’ve learned after decades in this sector: The leadership style that got us here won’t keep us here.
After working with rail executives across North America, I’ve identified three leadership styles that dominate our industry. Two of them deliver short-term wins but long-term damage. One builds both rthe esults and relationships that last. The question is: Which one are you—especially during stressful times of uncertainty?
Style 1: The Hammer – Command & Control Boss
You know this leader. They get results—fast. When there’s a crisis, they make the call. When operations are falling behind, they crack the whip. Decisions are made and executed without question. The common phrase is, “I’m not here to be liked.”
The pros? Things get done. In the short term, this style can turn around failing operations, meet aggressive deadlines and push through resistance.
The cons? People suffer. Burnout becomes common as teams tackle multiple “top priorities” simultaneously, with the pace never slowing and the pressure never lifting. Abusive language and intimidation tactics may force compliance, but they destroy trust.
I‘ve watched a leader like this clear a backlog in three months—and lose half the best people in six. Results are achieved, but they’re not sustained. Relationships break. And when that leader leaves, the operation often collapses because it was built on fear, not ownership.
This style creates a dangerous ripple effect. When people operate from fear, they stop speaking up about safety concerns. They hide problems instead of solving them. They focus on looking busy rather than being productive. The very results this leader demands become harder to achieve because trust and psychological safety have been destroyed.
Here’s the truth: You can force people to work. You cannot force them to care.
Style 2: The People Pleaser – The Complicit Boss
This leader wants to be liked. They avoid conflict, make decisions by consensus, and look the other way when they know shortcuts are being made that could impact safety, quality, or productivity. You’ll hear them say, “They want us to…” instead of “I need you to…” It’s always someone else’s directive, never their own leadership.
It happens in the boardroom and on the ballast line. A dangerous version of this can happen in the field with potentially grave consequences: An employee says, “Why don’t you go get your paperwork done—or grab a coffee—and I’ll take care of this.” The implication is clear: Shortcuts will be taken, yet the complicit leader walks away, choosing comfort over accountability.
It is also an employee working for weeks in blue hiking boots—not rail-approved footwear—without anyone correcting the behavior. The ones not speaking up exemplify how a permissive safety leader acts.
The pros? It’s easy working for this boss. There’s no pressure, no confrontation, no hard conversations.
The cons? High achievers tap out and look for opportunities to join high-performing teams. Results chronically suffer. And most critically, this leader creates unsafe working conditions through lack of accountability and ownership.
Relationships may appear intact, but they’re not productive or high performing. And when something goes wrong—when someone gets hurt because a shortcut was taken—this leader realizes too late that being liked is not enough when keeping people safe.
What makes this style particularly insidious is that it masquerades as kindness. True kindness means caring enough about people to have the hard conversations that keep them safe and help them grow. Permissiveness isn’t compassion. It is cowardice dressed up as concern.
Here’s the hard truth: When you avoid necessary conflict, you enable unnecessary risk.
Which Leader Are You?
To learn more about your style check out www.16personalities.com . It’s free, multilingual and can help you identify if you have Hammer or People Pleasing tendencies.
Our industry’s future depends on leaders who understand that you don’t have to choose between being strong and being respectful. You don’t have to choose between getting results and treating people right.
Pauline Lipkewich has been railroading since 2011, including leading the global group sales team at Rocky Mountaineer and growing revenues more than five times in less than four years. She has also worked alongside Class I operators at CN, Kansas City Southern and Norfolk Southern, specifically targeting safety performance and operational effectiveness improvements. She runs KingdomBuilding Leadership, Inc., a boutique firm committed to helping individuals and organizations go further, faster by leveraging behaviors and culture as a key competitive advantage. Pauline’s love of leadership, heavy industry and unlocking the potential in people is the genesis in bringing The Rail Way™ to life. Her ability to build trust and performance with the individuals and organizations she works with has been demonstrated through the awards and recognition her teams and clients have received. Pauline has a Bachelor of Commerce and a Master of Arts (Leadership), both from the University of Guelph. If you have an idea for a future column for The Rail Way™, contact Pauline directly at pauline.lipkewich@kingdombuildingleadership.com or +1.780.991.9993. The Rail Way™, a division of KingdomBuilding Leadership, Inc., strives to be the preeminent voice on leadership, people, behaviors and culture for the transportation industry while transforming how the rail sector develops generational railroaders and creates value for all stakeholders. KingdomBuilding Leadership, Inc. specializes in organizational transformation by focusing on high performance leadership behaviors, people and culture. Leveraging three pillars of performance, clients witness rapid, profound and sustainable results—often taking them from industry laggard to industry leader—when implementing proven methods and strategies and utilizing tools.
