A small lesson in leadership
I've just resigned from my involvement in some voluntary work. And the reason I resigned: poor leadership. Not my own. I'm too aware of my shortcomings in that department, so generally avoid it these days. There has to be a good mix of control, knowing when to let people have their heads, and 'reward' for services rendered. Not so of the leader involved here. This leader expected people to carry out work which the leader didn't, and the leader, when questions were asked about anything, treated people with disrepect. Minions tend to vote with their feet under this sort of leadership. I'll be keeping this well in mind for my writing.How do leaders get to be where they are? To what extent can the leader mistreat those who serve them? The companions of Anglo-Saxon kings were often well-rewarded for their services. Their great kings are called great because they are 'ring-givers' In my small case, the 'ring' would have been a 'thank you' on occasion :-)
posted by Alex Bordessa @ Monday, February 13, 2006
3 Comments:
Although you do not specify which work you were in,in most cases the leader is usually nominated and then second.The commitee then vote for or against this leadership.I'm sorry tou felt you had to resign but
I wonder if they took this position under duration,if no-one else was prepared to accept it.Hence the attitude!
No, it wasn't that situation at all :-) But if it was, the person who had been voted into leadership, could also walk away if they didn't like it.
This leadership situation was rather organic (grown of its own accord), which I think lends itself to being compared with the type of leadership situation going on in the Dark Age period, where leaders tended not be be elected. In which case, how did these leaders emerge? How did they keep people loyal to them? Etc. That's why the whole incident was a lesson for me.
Leadership is an important factor in Storm over Hadrian's Wall.
Talorcan's people follow him as long as the war isn't going too bad, but when they keep losing, and he insists on pursuing his personal revenge, more and more of them begin to follow Muirtholoic who promises to end the war.
Talorcan is the son of the former leader and has a great deal of personal charme which draws people to him in the beginning. He also is generous and rewards courage. Muirtholoic, his cousin and thus also member of the élite, is less dashing but seems to be more reliable. He has to work harder to win the men over.
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