He doesn't sound so unkind letting an apathetic unmotivated lead keep his or her job. It doesn't seem like we're getting the whole story here. That second manager might have been an ass, but it seems like he got the job done.
No, the second manager didn't fire me - my apathy and lack of motivation didn't keep the team from shipping or themselves being demotivated. A key thing the first manager taught me was that a good leader is able to keep their team motivated and moving forward in spite of problems above - shielding the team, etc.
And the second wasn't an ass - he just used fear as a management technique. As opposed to the first manager that used empowerment and encouragement.
I do see a fair share of managers that use fear/authority/power as a technique to get results, but for me (and I see for many other peers) it is counter productive in the long run.
Respect earned from fear/position is short-lived. Respect earned from trust and empowerment will stay with people their entire careers and pay dividends.
He doesn't sound so unkind letting an apathetic unmotivated lead keep his or her job. It doesn't seem like we're getting the whole story here. That second manager might have been an ass, but it seems like he got the job done.