Yet the leaders also bear the brunt of concern for the business.
What does this saying mean?
Bear can mean to carry. And brunt means the major part. To bear the brunt is to carry the major part of the responsibility for something.
The leaders of a company are responsible for how well the company does. Employees may work hard during the day.
But most of them leave their work behind when they leave the office. The employer often works late and takes work home.
The saying, bear the brunt, was used as long ago as the fifteenth century.
At that time, armies almost always stood in lines to fight. Naturally, those in the front lines took the major force of the battle. They bore the brunt of the fighting.
So, perhaps Miss Smith, our businesswoman in California, is doing a good job. She may be called a battle-axe.
But she is bearing the brunt of the responsibility for keeping her company competitive.
