Emerging.
The cult of Leadership has Emerging Leaders.
What a horrible title.
All the expectations of Leadership without the money shot.
Forever running laps.
In the weights room.
Endless beep tests.
Skin fold measurements.
Never taking the field.
Worse - coached by someone who thought Emerging Leaders is a good idea.
Save us.
Made for Humans.
“Humans are made for progress, not arrival.’ - Dr Arthur Brooks
The five steps to good decision making is made for humans.
Break Step.
In the Australian military, a body of troops marches at 116 paces per minute, with each pace being 75cm.
Not 118 or 114 paces per minute.
116.
Not 80 or 70cm pace length.
75.
Left, right, left.
Unless they come upon a bridge they must cross.
Then the command will be given ‘Break … STEP!’
The troops will cease marching in step and each begins walking at whatever pace and length of step they choose.
Anarchy.
This prevents the rhythmic impact of synchronised footsteps, which could create vibrations that might compromise the structural integrity of the bridge.
Sometimes - to cross a bridge - you must break step with everyone else.
When a Student Sits a Test.
When a student sits a test then so does their teacher who taught them the content.
And the principal who hired and mentored the teacher.
And all the teachers and principals who taught and hired and mentored the student’s teachers up until now.
And the governing body that appointed the princpal.
And the university that trained and assessed the teachers as being good enough to teach.
And the parents who chose the school and fed and clothed and loved the child.
When a student fails a test…
Are We There Yet?
Here is how a leader communicates:
Where we are.
Where we are going.
Why are we going there.
How will we get there.
How things will be better when we get there.
What are the obstacles between here and there.
What’s in it for you.
Bonus points: What to do if you don’t want to come.
How far we have come since we started.
This Job Next Job.
Use this job to train for the next one.
Get this boss to pay you to get your next boss.
Never Well.
All is well.
All is well.
All is well.
All is well because nothing goes wrong.
Something goes wrong.
All was never well.
Cat into the River.
‘Thinking is to humans as swimming is to cats: They can do it, but they prefer not to.’ Daniel Kahneman
Asking some bosses to explain themselves is like nudging a cat towards a river.
Demean.
I do swear that I will truly and honestly demean myself in the practice of a barrister and solicitor of the Supreme Court of Western Australia according to the best of my knowledge and ability,
So help me God.
The oath I swore before the Full Bench of the Supreme Court on 22 December 1989 as part of the Admission Ceremony to become a legal practitioner.
They’ve since removed from the oath ‘demean myself’.
The Responsibility is Mine.
“I embrace it, the responsibility is mine, I was the commander of the army on October 7th, I bear my own responsibility, and I also bear the full responsibility for all of you. And I acknowledge in every subordinate of mine who made a mistake, as part of my own [mistake],” Major General Yaron Finkelman, Commander of Southern Command, Israel Defence Forces.
"The Israel Defence Forces failed in its mission to protect the citizens of Israel. My responsibility for the terrible failure accompanies me every day, every hour, and will be so for the rest of my life.” -Lt Gen Herzi Halevi, Chief of the General Staff of the Israel Defence Forces.
If you’re the boss of anything, learn from these men.
If someone is the boss of you, learn from these men.
If you’re the boss, you must have evidence-based confidence that every person you’re the boss of, truly understands what your job is, what their job is, what you’ve given them to do their job, and what finishing their job it looks like.
If someone is the boss of you, you must understand why the boss insists that you know what your job is, that you’re competent to do it, and why the boss gets grumpy if you don’t do it to the boss’s satisfaction.
You must understand why the boss chooses to boss you the way they do.
They’ve chosen for you to not care much for them - rather than them risking being accompanied every day and every hour for the rest of their life for what will be their failure - not yours.
Challenge.
'If you don't agree with a proposition then you need to have a logical argument for an alternative.'
- Dr Tim McDonald, Executive Director of Catholic Education WA
The first rule of the Widget is to challenge the Widget.
In and Out.
'Humans are bright enough to think our way out of the problems we think ourselves into.'
- Cory Doctorow
Good decision making is a process of thinking our way out of a problem.
Into another problem.
And out.
And in.
Out.
A Gift to Your Future Self.
Taking time to Step 1:Step Back before making a decision is a generous gift to your future self.
As are Steps 2 to 5.
The Lives of Others.
Human life occurs only once, and the reason we cannot determine which of our decisions are good and which bad is that in a given situation we can make only one decision; we are not granted a second, third, or fourth life in which to compare various decisions.
- Milan Kundera 'The Unbearable Lightness of Being'
We are indeed granted a first, second, third, or fortieth life in which to compare various decisions.
The lives of others.
Read History.
You Break a Rule.
You break a rule.
You get an immediate payoff.
You’re discovered and dealt with.
Done. Move on.
You break a rule.
You get an immediate payoff.
Nobody discovers you.
The payoff fades.
The fear of discovery remains.
