“Is the Hard-Nosed Boss Obsolete?” (WSJ May 22) cries for clarity. In a nutshell, tough bosses are not terrible bosses; terrible bosses are terrible bosses.

Terrible bosses are disrespectful, demeaning, and don’t act in the best interests of the company. That’s about it. All the other adjectives and examples raised in association with tough bosses by this article do not make someone a bad boss:

• Being direct
• Killing underperforming initiatives
• Firing underperforming employees
• Not sugar-coating
• Being aggressive
• Making tough decisions
• Being demanding

Employees value bosses with high expectations for themselves and others who are also compassionate, kind, and fair. If you continually demonstrate your ability and determination to help the company and its employees excel, being direct, demanding, and plenty tough will never be obstacles.