_This Spirit Requires Efficiency._--Such results are possible to the
leader in direct proportion to his knowledge of his job and his ability
to conduct the work with efficiency and without wasted time or energy.
Men naturally hate inefficiency. They become critical, caustic in their
remarks, and finally disgusted under a leader who wastes their time and
efforts, who hesitates over decisions and wonders whether to do this
or that and how to do either, who hasn't the tools and material right
at hand, who is always picking the wrong man for a piece of work, and
who holds up the work of all while he fusses with the clumsy efforts
of some "dub." Such a leader will never build up any good spirit. That
comes only from the reverse of this picture of incompetence.
_Work for the Leader._--But not all leaders may be gods to be always
right and sure in their management of affairs. True, but by looking
ahead, by planning and preparing for each new task, by headwork and
overtime work, they can so fit themselves for each task that they can
carry their men through it with such efficient direction that they
will seem to their men to be almost godlike. Of course this means work
for the leader. But the notion is foolish that work grows less as one
ascends the ladder of promotion. In reality the leader who is half as
good as he should be in his position is generally earning far more than
his pay. His task is no easy one. Ambition for accomplishment, pride in
success, joy of meeting manly responsibility, and not that enjoyment of
an easy berth which some assume it to be, are the motives which hold
the leader to his job.
_Where Leadership Really Shows._--As we watch a skillful boss directing
his men through a job, tools and material all at hand, every man moving
efficiently, all the parts working smoothly toward the result, how
natural it is to exclaim, "What teamwork!" and "What a leader!" But
out of years of experience I tell you that this leader seems so good,
not because God especially endowed him with skill, but because he has
previously sat down and planned out how he was going to handle this
especial job, and because he took pains to see to it ahead of time that
everything was prepared for the work. His superior leadership shows
not in the work he is here doing, but in the work he did beforehand
in building up the discipline and teamwork of his men and in making
preparation for handling this especial job efficiently. That is why he
may now appear so quietly sure of himself and his men, and that is the
real task for leadership--fitting self, men, and team ahead of time so
they may work smoothly to the best advantage without waste or friction.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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