One of my favorite political columnists, Gene Lyons, writes about how in some circles, it's more important for our leaders to be "tough" than it is for them to be right.
This is one of those political issues that has a resonance in my own life. Over the years, the folks I've encountered who liked to talk tough were usually substituting that "virtue" for other, more efficient tactics like thinking first. I've also found that the ones who like to talk tough are usually the strongest in talk and the weakest in action.