LEADERSHIP
by W:.Tim Bryce, PM, MPS
timb001@phmainstreet.com
Palm Harbor, Florida, USA
"A Foot Soldier for Freemasonry"
"Leadership is the ability to get men to do what they don't want to do and like it."
- M:.W:.Harry S. Truman, PGM
Belton Lodge No. 450 A.F.& A.M., MO
33rd President of the United States (1945-1953)
There seems to be two types of leaders in both the corporate world and Freemasonry these days;
on the one extreme is the micromanager who supervises everyone's work, and on the other end of
the spectrum is the person who wants everyone to love him. Interestingly, neither approach is
effective for true leadership. Whereas the micromanager tends to turn people off simply
because he doesn't respect the workers ability to do their jobs properly, the "lover" commands
no respect either as he tends to avoid taking a stand on any issue; he just wants to keep
everyone happy and hopes they will somehow work together towards some common goals. Inevitably
they do not and chaos ensues. I am reminded of what former UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher
said, "Standing in the middle of the road is very dangerous; you get knocked down by the traffic
from both sides."
Frankly, to be an effective leader, I think you have to find a medium between the two
extremes. As many of you know, I am an advocate of worker empowerment where you manage from
the bottom-up, not just from the top-down. I think it is important to treat workers (the Craft)
as professionals, such as giving them responsibility and holding them accountable for their
actions. If they believe their voice is heard, they are more inclined to accept responsibility
and direction. I think this is an important part of leading a worthy life, both personally and
professionally.
I'm also smart enough to know that a manager (the Worshipful Master) is not in a popularity
contest and is responsible for delivering results. This means the leader has to know the right
direction to be heading, be able to articulate it to the Craft, and motivate them to get the
job done. As such, it is more important for a manager to be respected as opposed to loved. People
will simply not produce the deliverables you want if they do not respect you.
One classic example of how you cannot lead through love is exemplified in NBC's hit
comedy, "The Office."
In the show, Michael Scott (as played by actor Steve Carell) is a regional branch manager
of an office that sells paper. Here, the manager desperately wants to be loved by his staff,
and the more he tries, the less the staff respects him and the office just stumbles along.
When it comes to leadership, there can only be one captain, you cannot lead by democracy. You
have to be able to give an order, and you have to have confidence the workers will respond
accordingly. This doesn't mean you have to sit over people with a whip and a chair as
exemplified by micromanagement. It is about empowerment and respect. If you haven't got
respect, you won't be leading anybody anywhere anytime.
Perhaps the best interpretation of leadership I've come across is from President Harry
Truman who said, "Leadership is the ability to get men to do what they don't want to do and like it."
Keep the Faith.
NOTE: The opinions expressed in this essay are my own and do not
necessarily represent the views or opinions of any Grand Masonic jurisdiction
or any other Masonic related body. As with all of my Masonic articles herein,
please feel free to reuse them in Masonic publications or re-post them on Masonic
web sites (except Florida). When doing so, please add the following:
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