JOINT BASE CHARLESTON, S.C. –
Years ago, I had a boss who was acutely aware of everything that was occuring in the office, put in long hours and united the workers like I had never before experienced. She was also the worst boss I've ever had. She was aware of what was happening around the office because she held innumerable meetings and micro-managed all of her subordinates. She worked long hours not because there was important work to be done, but so her superiors could see she was in the office and she united us as subordinates because we had to pull together to support each other just to make it through the day. What was clear from the first day she arrived in the office was that the office's mission would be for her to be promoted within the organization. If we happened to do our jobs effectively in the process, that was just a bonus.
Years later I had a boss who was not completely unlike the boss mentioned above. She was aware of what we were doing in the office, she worked hard, often worked long hours and united the office. But she knew what was going on in the office because if we told her about our projects or our concerns we knew she would help us with them. She worked hard because she wanted the office and her superiors to be successful. She united the office and pulled us together because we all had a sincere desire to impress her and wanted her to be pleased with our work.
The difference between the two bosses was simple: one cared about herself, the other cared about the people she served and the mission we supported.
So why are those differences in motives and perceptions important? The mission, at least initially, was accomplished in both offices. But, workers in the first office soon became disenchanted with the boss, the organization and the mission. Productivity slowed and potential leaders left to get different jobs. In the second office, productivity, job satisfaction and a sincere sense of duty to the overall mission increased. Perhaps most importantly, subordinates saw what a true leader was, and it inspired us to be like her, to remain in the organization she served and to do our best to serve it as well.
Nearly all of us are leaders, at least to some extent. If we don't genuinely care for our subordinates, co-workers and the mission, people will know it. But perhaps most importantly, their performance and potential to lead will eventually reflect our motives. In fact, leaders don't have to voice their motives; they don't have to be patently obvious in promoting their perspectives - those who follow them will soon know whether they are working for someone who is self-promoting, unit-promoting or mission-promoting.
We all know that for short periods we can accomplish the mission in spite of leadership. Subordinates band together and fight to get the job done regardless of the impediments raining down upon them. But we as leaders, civilian or military, enlisted or officer, also know that in the long term, missions are truly successful and exceed expected outcomes when unit cohesiveness and pride are brought about through a truly inspirational leader we admire, are loyal to and want to be more like.
I'm glad to be in Charleston where I've worked for and with leaders who make me want to help them accomplish the mission and to do so for the good of this base and our nation. As for me, I constantly remind myself of the lessons I gleaned from the experiences discussed above, hoping to better emulate the second boss and to rid myself of any proclivity to emulate the first. We'll see how that goes.