So I'm strolling back through the office this morning after scoring the day's first hit of coffee, when I notice two co-workers clustered around a third at his cubicle and overhear one ask in a semi-puzzled tone, "I don't think I'm the Captain?"
Context: For our work contracts, we generally have a position known as a "Job Captain," which is a side effect of being part of an architectural firm. So I didn't think much of it until the cubicle-resident--one of the more cynical folks in the office--say, "You are now." Which is when I realized that they were team-mates for the office scavenger hunt. In that light, I completely sympathize with "You are now," simply because there's no billing code for time spent on mandatory "fun."
That being said, it led to some reflection on the reflexive deflection of leadership. I've seen it at so many contexts. And I'd be a liar if I denied honing my abilities to dodge the time-wasting forms it takes. Because there are very obvious reasons for avoiding leadership:
- Avoiding wearing the bulls-eye when things don't go as planned. Or do go as planned, only with unforeseen side effects
- Avoiding the extra overhead and/or busywork that too often comes with the territory (e.g. the all-responsibility-with-no-authority fiction known as the "team lead")
In a sense, one of the few fringe benefits of "working for The Man" is a freedom from the responsibility--albeit not the consequences--of making poor decisions.
Yet, IMLTHO, we're still struggling through a recession of leadership--i.e. the balance is still too tilted toward punishing ideas vs. even giving them a fair debate (to say nothing of implenting them). Understand, though, that I'm not--in the main--knocking those who are making decisions right now. I'm talking about those who are content to sit on the sidelines and snipe. In which company I include myself, btw. Leadership isn't so much about telling folks what to do as knowing what needs to be done. I'm far, far too myopic that way--I know that. There's a long and uphill road ahead in that direction. But at least the first stretch is shallow: After all, learning how to lead oneself is relatively risk-free. And after that, at least you have a better sense of how it's supposed to be done. Even when you decide not to do it yourself.
