The common phrase is that it is “lonely at the top.” If that’s true, then the leader in question is doomed to fail.
When people begin to gain power, they often fall victim to the limits of their own humanity. We have limits, all of us do. With discipline and focus we can raise those limits, however, we can never fully remove them.
So it is with power.
The more and more power you have, the more and more accountability you need to make sure you don’t cross the threshold of your own power limit.
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Do you have an example of someone in your life who has handled power well?
Yes - and you pose a great question that I agree with. Those at the top, leading the way, are held to a higher standard of accountability. Or at least in my opinion!
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I always enjoy your posts Jacob. Those with the highest power certainly should consider a moral compass that helps guide their position.
If you want lead you definitely have to have accountability. I've had bosses who handled power well. They were responsible, accountable and fair. But boy oh boy I've had bosses who didn't handle power well. Huge difference.
Nobody should hold power.
It's the classic conundrum 'Quis custodiet ipsos custodes' or 'Who watches the Watchmen'. When power corrupts, who keeps the powerful in check? Senate, Congress, Ombudsmen, etc - Who keeps the accountable accountable? Who presidents the presidents? We all saw how wrong it went under Trump.
This may be a bad example, but my wife. We've bern married since 94' and I've pretty much trusted her with the finances.
I'm not rich, but I've done well for myself at times. She NEVER waste what we have or splurge on herself. Not even when I ask her to. Her power is truly admired.
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And they do...they say a lotta "no" and occasionally "yes" to the ones who can really bring it on...
Thank you, Jacob Matthew! It is deeply appreciated that you bring this up in a way where we can celebrate those who have excelled in a leadership position. It's so easy to tear down those who fail us from the top down, but appreciating those who have done well? That's much harder, and more likely that we'll simply not complain. Sometimes our leaders need to be lifted up as well!
Over my lifetime, I've had several instances of well-implemented management. Each time these people had the power to ignore me or face me, hire me or fire me, discipline me or encourage me, give me responsibility or dismiss me. My fondest memories of leaders who handled their power well are - my middle school and high school drama teachers, my boss at the MD RenFest, my boss at Borders Books, my boss at Elizabeth Arden's Red Door Spa, and my first film school teacher (who also gave me one of my first paid jobs while in film school). All of whom had to decide how to deal with me, a head-strong, opinionated, sometimes impatient, and mostly bored without responsibility would-be leader... who mostly hates not being in charge, but hates it more when people don't listen to her. Yes, that's right - I can be a pill, and I fully acknowledge it (although it was more frequent before I turned 30). And they figured that out, met me halfway, and listened to me.
Each of them decided to sit and have a hard conversation with me over avoiding confrontation. And each time it showed me that there was another way to deal with dissatisfaction or conflict - you can attempt to understand them and work to create a plan on how to move forward based on where you are. Learning to set the expectations (and thus the rules) was a form of collaboration that these leaders had figured out so that their followers didn't feel so distanced and unimportant (and I need my contribution to be important the way a fish needs water). It's taught me to love making my own rules and including others in that plan for unit cohesion.
For the record, this is precisely how last month's panel came to fruition. I came up with the idea, sourced panelists, pitched it to Amanda and RB, and they were generous and encouraging enough to allow me the chance to moderate the panel for Hispanic Heritage Month: https://www.stage32.com/webinars/Stage-32-State-of-the-Industry-Special-... SHOUT OUT TO AMANDA & RB!