20,000... And Leadership Stuff
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20,000??
Geez... we're almost at 20,000 hits. Even though a good many of those are repeat visitors, there have still been a lot of folks passed through here... certainly a lot more than I ever expected.
Anyway, in the spirit of incremental progress, here's another short, but heartfelt, post.
I have long known that the hardest kind of leadership is that which requires you to lead your peers (even former peers, as is now the case for me). There is a certain invisible wall to get over- and many people are not able to. You can easily succumb to the tempting siren of friendship... or the very attractive "perceived fairness" monster. Mostly, though, you can fall down flat when it comes time to deliver the darker side of leadership: discipline.
Nothing- and I mean nothing- is harder for me than being "the hammer" with my people. I think that, if you truly care about them, it would be hard for anyone. The old cliche about the parent saying "this is going to hurt me more than it hurts you" certainly applies.
What makes this a lot easier is if you have shown yourself to be a caring leader. Then people- even the ones getting the bad news- will know that it is not just you being a jerk on a power trip.
I'm having these kinds of issues now, and it is taking every personal resource I possess to get through it. I work with- and lead- a lot of very experienced, mature (sometimes), Alpha-males... and let me tell you, it is a ride!
What has always helped me stay focused on what is truly important is a phrase that sums up a simple truth: "They don't care what you know, until they know that you care." I do try to live by that.
I just wanted to vent a little... thanks for listening. I like Huskermet's idea of you guys amusing yourselves while I'm away stressing at my "complicated" life. That made me laugh. So... by all means, carry on with that!
Here's a reward for reading today's post. This web page is awesome and everyone should read it. It takes a while to load... but it's worth it.
If Iwo Jima Happened Today
C-ya soon...
kmg
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posted by kmg at 05:55
6 Comments:
Thanks for the two cents, SAJ... it was much appreciated.
It wasn't my intent to complain about my job... I really do like it a lot. I guess this site is just a good place for me to vent a bit and get out of my system the frustrations that I carry.
Anyway... thanks again!
Pomoze Bog.
Cutie forgot one thing, though: she should've scoured the "home front" and found at least one parent of a slain Marine to call the President a murderer.
Oh, but I forgot...in WWII, only a handful of ACLU kooks and foolish isolationist appeasers did that. Most mothers recognized that if their sons died in places like Iwo, it was for a far higher purpose than if they died in a car wreck. And they didn't blame the President---they knew (and cared)full well who the enemy was and who had started the war.
And the Grunts and Dogfaces? They had Ernie Pyle, a man who died with them as a "buddy," and not some effete, self-important snot from Columbia "Journalism" School who views his- or herself as a "citizen of the human race" and above supporting any of the "sides" involved. And, bless them, they weren't saddled with the comically-hyperbolic hysterics of weightless wonders like Geraldo who generally manage to turn deep human tragedy into Theater of the Absurd.
Anyway, sorry if this wanders. Its early and I had a lousy night's sleep and the truth of Miller's article fills me with anger.
The one thing I did find humorous (and true) was the degree to which the average Grunt/Dogface either ignores the intruding journalist or treats her with somewhat incredulous contempt. You can see the same thing on the faces of soldiers who are thrust on camera in Iraq right now.
Congratulations on the milestone. You're right about the leadership thing. But I have faith you'll get it to work out OK. Venting is good. I do it all the time. It keeps me sane.
Don't ever use "C-ya" ever again :)
Hmmm... how about Si-ya??
Now you sound Spanish. :)
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