David Manaster tagged me, and trust me, I will return the favor !
1) I'm not really a good example of a leader, not because I'm being modest, but because it's true. That's the first thing outsiders usually dont know.
David did a good job on his tag, but he described himself pretty much as I would have expected him to- capable, democratic, behind the scenes, highly ethical.
The tag is for seven things you DON'T know !
Here ya go:
2) I hate to lead. I love to be second in command. The leader bears the pressure, has to meet the expectations, and can never be the idealized source of all wisdom and power. Meanwhile, the second in command enjoys most of the perks and little of the pain. Its a great role if you can find it. It's a good thing that there are people who have be out front, in the heat of battle.
3) My mind was an expensive thing to waste. No time to do it wholesale- I paid top dollar the whole way, and the job is barely half-done.
4) I deeply believe in democracy, even in business. Lots of people think they do, but they don't truly dig it when democratic decisions result in plans that run against their grain. Yes, from time to time there must be a Decider and followers, but even then, the organ of decision can be set-up in advance in a democratic way. Following orders can be difficult, but if the authority arose democratically, and you agree to accept a role as a subordinate, command and control will work as well as any authoritarian system. Leading in a real democracy is hard work, bound to fail often, and always requiring painful compromise.
5) I believe the measure of a leader must be taken in hardship. Anyone can lead in good times, but when things get ugly, the cream rises and the pretenders flail or go passive. The real leaders hold it together, and bring their teams thru the crisis. 9/11 was a little setback, but I have never really been tested, thus I don't know what kind of leader I am (see #1).
6) I hate classism more than just about anything. I've been piss-poor in my life and I've been in the famous top 1% . Yes, one place is a lot better than the other, but I was the same person at both times. The people who responded to me differently then and now are weak, and I don't respect them. The people who cared not at all about my economic status have my esteem forever. Poverty is not a moral failing- it can happen to anyone for any number of reasons, including plain errors in judgment that anyone can make and the parental lottery. If you keep score with money and measure human values only thru manners and taste, you are not a full human being- you are a cunning jungle animal responding only to your middle brain, like a hardcore racist. Leaders lead human beings, and they train animals.
7) I believe that leaders must strive to understand human personality with active, lifelong study of the art and science of psychology. If you can't easily identify the primary personality types, the traits that tend to cluster within them, and the drives and defenses that are implicated, you are shooting in the dark when you work with people. Not everyone is textbook, and its a complex task, but the tools have been developed for a hundred years or more and they are reflective of reality.
Now....who to tag ? That's the hard part of this exercise. A thousand pardons if you are being tagged twice on this:
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