Thumpalumpacus Wrote:All good points. Remember also this core principle of leadership -- loyalty, like respect, is a two-way street. You have no call on the loyalty of your subordinates if you give none of your own.
Best of luck on your new course.
Agreed, sir. Thank you for your wisdom and intelligence, Thumpalumpacus. IMO, AF is very lucky to have you as a member.
CIJS, In addition to the importance of loyalty, I also forgot to mention how important it is for leaders to care about their people. IMO, people will ultimately tune their leaders out if they think that their leaders don't care about them: they will put on a show when their leaders are present and do as they please when their leaders are absent. However, when people honestly think that their leaders care about them, it ultimately makes them glow and feel special: they will actually want to learn from their leader and view him or her as a valuable source of knowledge and coaching. More importantly, in the absence of their leader, people will ultimately exhibit leadership traits and initiative, because they want to grow, and they don't want to let themselves or their leaders down. IMO, this is a remarkably beautiful artistic achievement; it is a leader's masterpiece. I'm not sure that I will ever be able to achieve it, but I'm certainly willing to give it a shot.
P.S. To my fellow AF members: Thanks for the words of encouragement. Live long and prosper.