The people who work UNDER me!!

That is a statement that I detest!  The people, men, women, workers, that work UNDER me!!  Are they sex surrogates?!  Hookers?!  Do you have many wives, husbands?!  I hear many so called leaders say this everyday.  Military, civil servants, private company managers.  I even heard it from a discussion leader at a Bible study!  The other term, similar in nature is "Below me". 

Well, in my 40+ years of leadership, military and civilian, I am proud to say that nobody ever worked under me.  To say that someone works under you, gives me the idea that you believe the people who follow your leadership are somehow less intelligent, educated, lower in the social strata, less human, than you!  If that is the case, what does that say about your leadership abilities.  You can only get ignorant, sub-human, social degenerates to follow you?!   Not me, I want the cream of the crop.  The well educated, those with initiative, those who bring brilliant thoughts to the discussion, those who will take the lead.  Yes, I want to lead the best and the brightest!

Another issues is self-fulfilling prophesy.  If you tell the people you work with that they are beneath you, they may begin to believe it.   Or they may begin to resent it.  Either way, is not good for the success of the organization.

I prefer to look at the team that I am blessed to lead as a group of talented individuals that all bring unique strengths to the table.  My responsibility to the team is to capitalize on each member's strength, to make the team as successful as it can be.  Everyone is an equal member.  Each member has a job.  Each member has a responsibility.  Each member is equally important to the accomplishment of the goal or mission.

There is an old leadership proverb that goes somewhat like this.  Be careful of the toes you step on.  They may be attached to the foot, of the leg of the ass that you are required to kiss later in your career.  The moral of that proverb is, individuals who works FOR you today, may be your BOSS tomorrow.

Just though I would write about some good leadership methods.  I still have it!