Teach Me to Lead

I now accept leadership as a legitimate art form. I don’t know how I felt earlier in my life. I probably accepted leadership for what it was and engaged in the lame, pedestrian leadership myself that I see so often in others now. Back then I didn’t understand the real reason for leaders. I think I thought leadership was more the enforcer/cop keeping vigil on naturally occurring events. I thought things would get done just fine without leaders keeping tabs on everything. I assumed that leaders were nothing more than watchdogs ensuring that there were no violations. I never accepted the notion that because the team lost too many games the coach should be fired. He never played. He didn’t lose. He didn’t drop any passes or jump off sides. I get it now.

I was wrong about leadership. Unfortunately, I was often in leadership positions so there are plenty of witnesses to my pathetic leadership skills.

Why? Did I have such crappy leaders and bosses early on that I didn’t grasp the true nature of great leadership? Or did I have such excellent leaders that their supremacy was seamless and undetectable? Many years ago when I learned that leaders can make or break something. I have seen inept leadership first-hand and heard of it second-hand and talked about it extensively third-hand.

On the other hand, because I have been both a good leader and an extremely poor one, I cannot in good conscience be critical of any leader. But I am anyway. Management styles differ vastly and effectiveness is often in the eye of the beholder – or the next manager up the poop chain. I tend, now, to manage as I like to be managed. I don’t really have any insight into great management. I guess that is why there are so many books on the subject – none of which agree with each other. I try to give direction and allow the ‘managed’ to control their own destiny. Sometimes I get into trouble because those who are managed need more direction. I don’t. I don’t like much direction. I invent. When I am given direction, it is often limiting, which is against what I should be about in my opinion.

I now stand in admiration of great leaders. I watch the tricks, tactics, and methods of leaders I see hoping to steal from them and incorporate some of their characteristics in my own leadership responsibilities.

A side note: my dad often brought home stray dogs to his house. His father would take them out the back door and behind the shed and 'teach them how to lead' which meant kill them. My dad never liked animals until much later in his life.