_Assuring Justice._--The possession of authority makes a wise man
consider the rights of others, lest he do a grave injustice. It is
likely to have a far different effect on a man of narrow soul and
intellect. He often becomes selfish, mean and arrogant, indifferent to
the feelings and rights of others, partial to favorites whom he chooses
for selfish reasons. He thus denies justice and forfeits his right
to leadership. Such men as bosses in industry are often the cause of
serious labor troubles, and are always the cause of reduced production.
By deceit and duplicity they may long conceal these qualities from
higher authority, while they continue to negative the most humane
policies of management. For this reason, when troubles show in any
group of men, first seek the source in the defective leadership of
their boss. It is for this same reason that successful management finds
means to check up the methods of its subordinates, and has it clearly
understood by all that every man has ready access to higher authority
for the presentation of any grievance.
_Joy of Doing Work Well._--A man naturally takes real delight in doing
a piece of work well, in the successful play of his constructive
instincts. He gets an actual pleasure from doing well whatever he puts
his hand to. This was another of Nature's wise endowments when she
determined that man should be her main instrument for progress in the
world. Whatever a man is doing in an agreeable frame of mind, he finds
himself naturally striving for perfection--the farmer looks back with
pleasurable reward to see that he has turned a clean, straight furrow,
the carpenter and mechanic get an inward glow from the perfect fitting
of a joint, and it was not poetic fancy which made David Grey take such
delight in digging that drainage ditch under a hot summer sun. These
joys from fine execution of work are the result of a natural instinct,
and form one of the best means for getting results if the leader knows
how to use them.
When you see a man taking no interest in his work and not trying to
get good results, perhaps even purposely doing poor work, you may be
sure that something is fundamentally wrong. Some stronger instinct
has been aroused whose force forbids the operation of this happy one
for construction. Our strongest instincts are those which regard our
self-protection, and one of these may be causing the trouble. If
conditions are such as to make the man fearful of his welfare, of his
livelihood or of injustice, contrary instincts are likely to overcome
or at least confuse the instinct to do well. So we may expect superior
results only under a system which assures fairness and justice, and
under a leader who honestly practices them.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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