"Cheney won't back down....."  I read this headline while browsing the MSNBC portal this morning.  I chuckled while trying to count the number of times I have read similar news headlines regarding Cheney over the past few years.  I have observed this combative, heels dug in  style in the workplace frequently during my 27 years of consulting.  Many times the people exhibiting it truly believe that this style is universal.  They believe that  everyone is equally  combative.    The really ironic aspect of this world view is that their aggressive and often stubborn behaviors frequently elicit the same from others who normally are more collaborative.  Thus they see combative behavior in everyone.  Ah, how interesting is the fallacy of the self-fulfilling prophecy!

When leaders demonstrate this 'tough battler' style in the workplace, they create organizational cultures in which fearful and/or angry people do not perform to their maximum levels of excellence.  Instead of behaving in the interest of organizational success, they will hide information from leaders, engage in covert schemes to work around the leader, or display other counterproductive behaviors that lead to  less than optimal work results. 

Anyone who uses this combative style consistently, whether a leader or not, is likely to find him/herself isolated in the long-term.  These people tend to make many enemies who are only too willing to find ways to render them powerless if not actually 'do them in.'