Just going to share a quick story. I'm not a leader, I'm definitely a follower. When I have had to lead, I've done the job well enough, be it at projects for work or otherwise. However, I would rather be a good worker bee than the queen so to speak.
That said, I tend not to be confrontational. I've still been wearing my masks despite the mandates in Texas. I went into an Albertsons, wearing my mask. and I saw two older gentlemen in their 50's. Neither of them where wearing their chin diapers, and they both had an air of strength and power, as in do not approach us about fucking masks. It inspired me.
I immediately took mine off. Nobody said anything.
Today, I went to the same Albertsons, this time without my mask completely. Nobody said anything once again. Then another man looked at me while wearing a mask himself as I walked past him.
When I checked out, I saw him again, this time without the mask.
The point is this: there are a lot of folks like me out there who aren't the leaders, or necessarily the ones who will pull the trigger. That is NOT a bad thing. We all can't be leading the charge. However we WANT to do the right thing. It just takes a spark to push people like me to act. If you know you are an alpha leader type, remember that next time you enter a store, and pull off your mask.
There is an old saying about "those who desire leadership are often unfit for the task." Looking at most of those in politics, it certainly rings true.
On the other hand, history has a rich tradition of folk heroes who fought and led because they had to, not because they wanted to. George Washington comes to mind.
Thanks for sharing your leadership story. I feel like we're in Toastmasters. ?
In my experience, true leaders rise to the top through recognition of their fitness by their contemporaries. Those desiring to be leaders, as you noted, are not only often unfit but are often (in my view) driven by ego and a need for self-gratification, as opposed to having a true heart to serve and having the bravery and selflessness to serve at the level required of a true leader.
I'd say the number of ineffective, power-mongering morons who sought and obtained leadership roles in our government is in the 90th percentile. They are easy to spot - as are their polar opposites, who lead by example, who stand for what they believe in and who aptly represent the will of their constituents.
Yes. They've been chosen and allowed to progress because they are inept and corruptible. They only use those too dumb, cowardly, greedy and evil for their middle management, lest they turn on the system and actually do something for the good of the world.
Once people like that get into positions of any power, I truly believe they (at LEAST subconsciously) seek to surround themselves with others who also lack real skill or talent. Less intimidating, and they can all cover each others' asses.
On the bright side, the opposite also occurs when strong leaders get into power.
Damn right. M.y team of 70 all have a mandate to train their replacement. Ive trained 2 people who can do my job. Guess what, when im gone they keep shit going, I sleep well at night.
Right. The system is festering with these incompetent nincompoops. Time for a MAJOR flush.
100 percent agree with you. And well said. We should all dream of working in, and for, organizations that value real leadership.
Having quite a bit of experience working both in government and the private sector, I know that this simple premise is often ignored. FAR more, in my experience, in government.
Excuse me, I have to go. Just thinking about some of the examples in government makes me want to rinse my brain. ?
And again, to OP, thanks for sharing. It's several hours after I originally read this and I can tell you for a fact that your story brightened my day considerably.
Careful to make that only a rinse and not a wash -- you'll dry out on the far side! KEK
Thank you fren -- we like-minded are surely establishing the base for what the God-fearing conservative and patriotic right in this country is going to have to stand on. WWG1WGA
I agree those who desire leadership most often arent fit for it. To many people think leading is about power and control and just bossing people around. Good leaders work for there people
Spot on, fren.
Good comment.
It’s important to remember that there is a huge difference between being “a leader” and being “in charge”.
A leader will lead by example. Set the bar by their actions. A good leader will be good at doing a thing, and when they look up, people will be naturally following in their footsteps. A good leader will inspire others to do the same, or to support a course of action.
The beauty of good leadership is that it will inspire others to become good leaders. Others who may have a different flavour, or style of leadership that may appeal to a subset of people who may not connect as much with the original leader.
Someone “in charge” will demand that others around them conform to their demands. They aren’t so much focused on leading people in the direction they believe in, so much as controlling what they do.
You, my fren, are a true born leader. You have been inspired by other good leaders, And together, we will create a decentralized, undefeatable web of leadership. ?
Right back at you with the "Good Comment". Your eloquence is inspirational, and your insight crystal clear.
Thank you as well for the kind words. I'll admit, I am a leader. And I have learned a lot from other leaders, and continue to do so. In fact, this entire thread has taught me a whole lot, and it's been an inspirational delight. ?
WWG1WGA
Thanks for the kind words. WWG1WGA
Reminds me of a perfect anecdote. In my mid-20's, I accepted a co-worker/friend's invitation to go on an Outward Bound expedition to Joshua Tree, with maybe 10 other guys and two female guides. We did a planning exercise while buying groceries on the way, and after stuffing it into our backpacks we were given a topographic map and coordinates of the first checkpoint. In the first few paces, my friend (who I'll call Daryl, on accounta that's his name) began to assert himself as an expert in topography. It is important to note that we were architectural interns, so both of us would be expected to have a decent understanding of topography. Well, not more than 100 yards up the road, Big D started up an arroyo which I knew was a dead-end and not anywhere near deep enough in the canyon we were in to be the proper route.
Daryl scurried up the arroyo, followed closely by a few guys who were buying his schtick. I stopped on the trail, not a doubt in my mind that he would be coming back. Other guys who had hung back (we were complete strangers initially) looked at me quizzically, with at least two sort of steeping toward Daryl's path, looking at me,taking a few steps toward me, listening to Daryl pattering on loudly about being way ahead of us, and then starting up behind him. They wasted a good 15 minutes on that dead end. I waited until I saw them retreating to continue up the canyon, even though Daryl had the map. I had given it a good look and spotted the trail that we needed to follow - for as far as I could see it, anyway. The trail got very steep and rugged, but I reached the top of a plateau first. A second guy popped up as I was sitting to wait for the group, followed shortly thereafter by Daryl.
He strutted past me, now that he was back on the trail, and announced that he was going to advance to the lunch checkpoint and start preparing the meal we had planned. I joined in and when we reached a point where we disagreed on direction, I looked at the map a good long while and then handed it back to Daryl. Once again he took a bum steer that I knew was wrong, and once again I hung back to wait for him. Quite of a few of the other guys -- I'd say 7 or 8 -- were buying into his "look at me, I'm a leader" routine, so they followed his errant lead.
When they came back to where I and others had stopped to wait, I could see that the guys who had followed him were quite pissed off, and the guys who had stayed with me were just disgusted with his posing. Knowing full well which way we needed to go, and tha our destination was only a short distance away, I nevertheless hung back just to see what Daryl would do next. Before he could formulate another bad plan, one of the other guys asked to se the map -- and then handed it to me.
I said "let's go -- we're already late," and about 50 yards up onto a rocky clearing we ran into our guides who were coming form the opposite direction to find us.
If ONLY our government was built in this manner these days -- as it was in the early days of the republic - where one's God-given abilities, their natural leadership qualities and their ability to listen, ponder and then take action were the basis for appointment to leadership. The Daryls of this world are destroying us.
OH -- and the story goes on, but now 35 years later Daryl is still a struggling draftsman, but I've built a national practice and have accomplished a great deal,including state, local and national leadership roles with recognition. We both started with the same tool kit way back then . . .
Lest anyone get me wrong, please understand that I'm not pumping myself up here. I could share much but this isn't the place or the conversation for any of that. Just telling an honest story about how true leadership naturally rises to the top -- if we allow it to.
Thanks for letting me tell this tale -- I had long forgotten about it, frens!