THE BUCK STOPS HERE!

Leadership is one of those hot buttons that some love to push and others loathe while others just seem to lord it over everyone else.

Being a great leader has less to do with a title and more to do with having the ability to see reality and then be able to assess the next steps required for growth: corporately and personally. The best leaders have mastered the art of self leadership. In any case, leadership is a very difficult task as best.

I once had a boss that lowered the boom on me. It was one of those moments in life where you sit there and your mind is racing, trying to figure out why is this person all fired up about something that you were not aware of. It's one thing to hold people accountable to that which you have communicated to them, and quite another to 'give 'em the berries' for something they are clueless about. Things like expectations, how you want something done, a direction, a goal, those are good things to communicate. But to get uptight about things that weren't done when the expectations were never communicated....not cool. That is poor leadership. When the phrase 'The buck stops here!' was issued, I saw it for what it was. A leader wanting to express their control and influence without earning the right to do so. In other words, "I don't want to hear your side of the story, just deal with it because I'm in charge!"

I've learned that talent and ability in a few areas does not a leader make.
Becoming a great leader requires patience, the desire to learn, vulnerability, courage, compassion, and a commitment to doing and being better as a person and boss. Watching and studying great leaders helps, too.

I made a vow with myself that day that I would never 'reem' somebody for something they didn't know about or I had not communicated my expectations. I've had plenty of difficult discussions with workers and volunteers about expectations unmet, but in almost every case, those people ended up hitting the mark because they had an understanding of what was expected of them at the outset.



MTC!
Mark