Everyone wants to know what my leadership style is. My leadership style is to raise everyone’s stress level until they do what I say. Not far from the truth. So I have a lot of formal training in leadership. I had to take six one-credit classes when I was at the Coast Guard Academy. I learned about things like “transformational leadership” and “servant leadership.” Servant leadership is what was in vogue when I was in the Coast Guard, which led to absurd things like commissioned officers chipping and painting bulkheads while their enlisted subordinates watched with a cup of coffee. I wish I was making this up. The military thinks a lot about leadership, and they have to, because how do you motivate someone to do their job when there are zero financial incentives? You have a stick, but no carrot. So military officers generally resort to being inspirational, or at least trying to be. Not everyone can pull that off. I couldn’t. Generally, I resorted to leadership by example: hey, if I can shine my boots, so you can you. I set an example with my work ethic, I set an example with my physical fitness, and I set an example with my personal appearance, hoping that it would trickle down. Most of my guys would have run through a wall for me. But not all. Some were not too appreciative of me trying to raise their stress level.
I worked for a guy that didn't motivate you...he ELEVATED you! And you are right, that is a talent. He took on the stress's of his workers LD's (low down's) and of the HU's (higher ups). When behind on a project, he wouldn't yell, he'd say "I'm disappointed." EVERYONE would work hard and long to turn that disappointment around. THAT is LEADERSHIP!
I think you might be on to something. In Uni we had this lecturer who had come from Germany back to Kenya to teach. He taught us computational statistics and his assignments were hard AF. Plus he didn't give marks easily. You had to work really really hard and push yourself to the limit to get anything from his course. But after that semester I made a lot of progress in learning how to approach problems I had no idea how to solve. I also gained a lot of confidence.
Truly love your writing. I’m a project manager and pretty kick ass. I’m not there to make friends, I’m there get these cats herded. And I have ruffled feathers but now I am specifically REQUESTED for projects. To get stuff done. Much more satisfying than protecting everyone’s feelings.
I worked for a guy that didn't motivate you...he ELEVATED you! And you are right, that is a talent. He took on the stress's of his workers LD's (low down's) and of the HU's (higher ups). When behind on a project, he wouldn't yell, he'd say "I'm disappointed." EVERYONE would work hard and long to turn that disappointment around. THAT is LEADERSHIP!
I think you might be on to something. In Uni we had this lecturer who had come from Germany back to Kenya to teach. He taught us computational statistics and his assignments were hard AF. Plus he didn't give marks easily. You had to work really really hard and push yourself to the limit to get anything from his course. But after that semester I made a lot of progress in learning how to approach problems I had no idea how to solve. I also gained a lot of confidence.
Ain’t that the Fucking Truth!!
Truly love your writing. I’m a project manager and pretty kick ass. I’m not there to make friends, I’m there get these cats herded. And I have ruffled feathers but now I am specifically REQUESTED for projects. To get stuff done. Much more satisfying than protecting everyone’s feelings.
I would agree that leadership cannot be taught. It is based on a person's character and their charisma.