1. This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this site, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. Learn More.
Dismiss Notice
You must be a registered member in order to post messages and view/download attached files in this forum.
Click here to register.

Leadership - have you ever encountered it ?

Discussion in 'Other Quality and Business Related Topics' started by normzone, Apr 8, 2016.

  1. normzone

    normzone Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Aug 3, 2015
    Messages:
    137
    Likes Received:
    77
    Trophy Points:
    27
    I have decided to abandon the search for a leader I can admire, or follow.

    I do what I can to be the leader I would like to work for. Perhaps that's all I can hope for.

    What I have encountered over the last forty years has been big egos that have successfully climbed towards power. Some of them have parts of the good leader equation, but what I'm seeing is the people who have the work ethics, communication skills and mentoring abilities I admire do not gravitate towards top positions. Or if they did, a more aggressive persons with less skills beat them to the command positions.

    Have you worked for persons you admired and learned from that were in top positions ?
     
    charanjit singh likes this.
  2. Eric Twiname

    Eric Twiname Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jul 31, 2015
    Messages:
    329
    Likes Received:
    232
    Trophy Points:
    42
    Location:
    Northeast USA
    Totally. Pretty much every job I've been in.

    Probably the determining factor in this (other than being completely blessed) is that I have always worked for small private companies that had been around for >15 years before I joined.
    A small private company with a big ego at the top usually isn't going to hire someone like me.
    A small private company also tends to promote from a smaller pool...and aggression doesn't work as well.

    JMO...I'll happily take what I ended up with.
     
  3. hogheavenfarm

    hogheavenfarm Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jul 30, 2015
    Messages:
    220
    Likes Received:
    160
    Trophy Points:
    42
    No, but I have learned a lot from watching these leaders, all stuff I wouldn't do myself, so I think I have learned a lot about what not to do.
    There are learning experiences everywhere I suppose. Most of my mentors were not big leaders, but they were great teachers.
     
    charanjit singh likes this.
  4. equilibrium

    equilibrium Member

    Joined:
    Aug 10, 2015
    Messages:
    32
    Likes Received:
    27
    Trophy Points:
    17
    With the exception of one boss who did make the effort to mentor me (albeit briefly), I've been forced to be very self-reliant. This includes providing the majority of my own training by searching out resources. Good leadership is rare in my opinion, and not something I'd personally ever want to attempt. Just knowing what not to do isn't enough for me.
     
    Che Promubol likes this.
  5. atearth

    atearth Member

    Joined:
    Apr 7, 2017
    Messages:
    7
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    1
    You make a fair point normzone.

    Someone who has a big ego and aggressive vs someone with work ethics, communication skills and mentoring abilities, the latter is the better leader in all accounts.

    at equilibrium what do you mean by "Just knowing what not to do isn't enough for me."

    I tend to do my own training too and would love to have good leadership skills one day but I would not mentor anyone myself, maybe pass on my knowledge to my children if I had any.
     
  6. Jennifer Kirley

    Jennifer Kirley Moderator Staff Member

    Joined:
    Jul 31, 2015
    Messages:
    1,071
    Likes Received:
    722
    Trophy Points:
    112
    Location:
    USA
    You're in good company.

    Not since leaving the Navy have I had a clear development path. College was however made available as part of company policy - I was openly encouraged to take it and did so. The person who encouraged me had said he was big into developing his people, but soon became too busy to do much advancement for anyone but himself. He was very good at that. I don't think it was ego though, just looking out for #1.

    The largest part has been on my own, and once collecting the certifications etc. I have had to move out of the organization in order to advance, so I have a long resume.