THURSDAY THOUGHTS: LEADERSHIP

In times like these—no—ALL of the time, leadership —effective leadership matters.

Whatever the industry, organization, or endeavor, It’s simply not enough to have the job, or look the part. NO uniform, platform, or grand environment can mask avoidable mistakes, or camouflage gross stupidity. 

Working eyes, and ears, and senses don’t lie. People trying to save face, or present themselves as something they are not, DO lie.

Execution of the task—in real time—reveals whether competence exists.

“The best and the brightest” SOUNDS good, but can’t just be idly spoken words. The genuinely “best and the brightest” EXIST, and are, often, right under our noses, available, and in the room—but are callously ignored, blackballed, debased, deemed unnecessary, or irrelevant, and overlooked, in favor of the mediocre and inept. 

Insecurity, bullying, jealousy, and control, fight viciously and underhandedly, so that the best and the brightest won’t ever be seen. Fortunately, they don’t always succeed. Though incompetence is loud, excellence is louder without even trying.

Once installed, a veneer of arrogance forms, and it’s darn near impossible to remove the talent-challenged, insecure person, who’s been hastily given authority. You can’t tell them they’re not outstanding. Perhaps they need to believe the lie, more than actually submit or defer to expertise and develop actual skill.

Exactly who suffers when poor choices are made, and assignments are carelessly given to the woefully inept, who don’t have the self-awareness nor sense to say, “No thank you. I’m not qualified. Perhaps you should enlist __________. He/she would be excellent”? 

Why expect people to endure, support, or applaud what they KNOW isn’t good? Why be surprised or mad when the excellence that COULD be had, is gone, or utilized and appreciated elsewhere? 

When an entity could have “great”, but settles for “okay”, who do they think they’re fooling? What’s there to gloat about? Who wants to take orders or directions from a fool, except an opportunist or another fool? 

Morale on the job has a lot to do with leadership. It’s no wonder that people work to the rule, do the minimum, barely produce, or never improve at all. Why should they, if the boss has no idea what the job entails, has relinquished responsibility and authority to known idiots, who no one respects? If the leader couldn’t step in and do the job if his or her life depended on it, and is intimidated by genuine expertise and experience, is that leadership?

The “best and the brightest” NEED to be on the job, and could ALWAYS be, as opposed to “the good enough”, “the cowardly”, “the delusional”, “the opportunistic”, and “the compliant”, if only leaders, and those in decision-making positions, were more serious, knowledgeable, secure, and mature, and less superficial, petty, and self-centered. A leader can’t be so enamored with him or herself, or so clueless of the purpose of the organization, that the slow failure, and decline of respect of, or engagement in an organization goes unnoticed.

The last 24 hours, or so, have been a rubber-meets-the-road situation. This is not a game. Life or death situations, call for efficiency and effectiveness, not pompous pretense. 

The contrast between the people out there all night combing the icy Potomac, the on-the-scene correspondents and first responders, and those sitting/standing behind desks and podiums, reading prepared scripts, speculating, and LOOKING important, speaks volumes. Leadership MATTERS.

When a leader, boss, supervisor, director, administrator, head, superintendent, etc., acts or speaks, I want to feel reassured, informed, confident, and at ease. 

I want to know I’m being told the truth, and being led in the right direction. 

I want to rest assured that the person responsible, knows what he or she is doing, prioritizes, doesn’t mind getting his or hands dirty, and is wise and secure enough to delegate duties to, authorize, and surround him or herself with subordinates who, TOO, are serious, competent, experienced, mature, and knowledgeable. 

I want a leader who is bolstered by the deliberately placed excellence around him or herself, not intimidated by, combative to, envious, nor afraid of it.

I don’t want to be embarrassed, repelled, confused, amused, disgusted, or perplexed by the leader, his or her commentary, attitude, reasoning, or decisions. 

I don’t want to feel I must make excuses for, or defend obvious incompetence or ineptitude. I don’t want to feel as if I’m on my own, or in a bad dream, a game, or being tricked. 

I want to learn more from the leader OTHER than how NOT to be. However, if that’s all he or she IS teaching, I suppose that’s valuable information to apply.

I don’t want to shake my head, and wonder “Dear, Lord, how on Earth this person get the job? A third grader could do better.”

I don’t want to have to deal with the gaslighting, preening, messes, stupidity, and silliness of his or her delusional flunkies—who are equally unqualified, miseducated, and so deep in idol worship, bought, or brainwashed, that they CAN’T, or are afraid to speak freely and honestly. 

The behavior of a leader shouldn’t leave me bewildered, make me laugh inappropriately, or cry hopelessly. 

I should welcome what the leader has to say in matters of importance, and not anticipate a verbal train wreck that makes me seek credible information and intelligence, elsewhere.

The leader shouldn’t make me DAILY think I’m in a recurring episode of Candid Camera. 

The individual need not be perfect, but I want to genuinely respect whoever is in charge— the person—not just the title or position. I don’t have to like, love, adore or always agree with the leader. I just want to know that my best interests are at heart. I want to admire how respectfully and considerably others are treated, and not fear when MY turn at mistreatment is coming. I want to know that my history and humanity matter. 

I want to feel comfortable, and confident being a follower, student, constituent, member, volunteer, participant, employee, etc. 

I don’t think that’s too much to ask.