a firm hand
Strong, unwavering discipline and control. Children need a firm hand growing up—they crave structure and rules, despite their protests to the contrary. With the company's president making a series of brilliant decisions, it seems they finally have a firm hand at the helm. In our search for a new CEO, we knew we needed a firm hand who could steer the company back into profitability in less than a year.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
*firm hand
Fig. [someone's] strong sense of management; a high degree of discipline and direction. (*Typically: exercise ~; have ~; need ~; take ~; use~.) I had to use a firm hand with Perry when he was a child. He had a problem with discipline.
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
a firm hand
strict discipline or control. Often used in the the fuller form, a firm hand on the reins (or the tiller ), this phrase is employing the image of controlling a horse by using the reins (or a boat using the tiller).
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017
a firm ˈhand
strong discipline and control: What his son needs, if you ask me, is a firm hand!Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017