noun
benevolence and strictness; kindness and authority
Refers to a balanced approach combining compassion and firmness, often in leadership or parenting contexts. Somewhat formal and not an everyday word.
上司は恩威を兼ね備えた指導で部下を育てた。
The boss developed his subordinates through guidance that combined kindness and strictness.
恩威並び行うことが理想のリーダーシップだと言われる。
It is said that exercising both benevolence and authority is the ideal leadership.
A more colloquial expression for 'carrot and stick', while 恩威 is a formal, abstract concept of combining benevolence and authority.
Compound of 恩 (grace, kindness) and 威 (authority, dignity). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the combination expresses the dual concept of benevolent authority.