Absolutely correct. Everyone who worked for me knew exactly what a hard ass I could be and some of them had seen it first hand. I’ll never forget the look on that Captains face when I told him he had to go “explain” to Col. Sue Master Parachutist RN why she wasn’t getting what he promised. One only has to “lock someone’s ankles down” a couple times and the word gets around.
That's absolutely true.
I found that when first assuming a leadership position, you had to be cautious for those first few weeks. It was much more prudent to be perceived as more of a hard ass during the initial period of command. People were more on their toes. Then, after people got to know you, you them, and respect was built - you could become more of a coach. But it was all a tight rope.