2 Types Of Leaders: "Politicized" versus "Mission-Directed" - Which Type Are You???

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There are two types of leaders. As a leader, you are either Politicized or you are Mission-Directed, and in each case the true motivations are very different, as are the followers or teammates or charges who require your vision and action.

Politicians [Politicized Leaders] at the uppermost strata of the voted-in hierarchy, are usually heavily -invested in maintaining the status quo, getting rich while in office (or getting re-elected), shaming and blaming other parties (or even entire ethnic groups) for problems and offering them up as a blood sacrifice to the masses, who are being misdirected by "investigations," "revelations," and "resignations" while the real culprits (usually the leaders in concert with their puppeteers or at the behest of their masters) continue to do as they have been doing. They keep their power by misleading, misdirection, propaganda, and appealing to the emotions of the people over whom they hold sway. They care more about opinion and poll results than about action. They are, by and large, pretenders rather than doers.

Commanders [Mission-Directed Leaders] are absolutely focused on accomplishing a goal through orchestrating and coordinating the best efforts and resources of a team. They do not waste precious time on placing blame. They do not tell others to sacrifice when they, themselves are not prepared to walk through the fire. They lead by example, and through a credible demonstration of conviction and character.

You'll find the following article excerpt to be of interest. It comes from  SmartBrief, a wonderful source of industry - specific information and insights. While it is not in exact sync with the exact point of the portion of my article above, it resonates with a similar theme:

How to spot fake leaders
The world is full of bosses who can't tell the difference between leadership and management, and aren't that good at either, write Art van Bodegraven and Kenneth B. Ackerman. The real danger comes when second-rate bosses start bragging about their supposed leadership ability rather than simply demonstrating it. "Life's too short to waste on 'leaders' who can't lead and managers who can't manage. And you are too good to sell your soul to make the great pretenders look like geniuses," Van Bodegraven and Ackerman write. DC Velocity online (5/20)

Look to mission-directed, impassioned achievers instead of to slick politicos and gamers of the government promotional apparatus to find leaders who can truly affect change instead of  making sacrifices to mythical deities in order to temporarily palliate the masses.

Douglas E. Castle for The Taking Command Blog and For The Sending Signals Blog.

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THE MORE YOU GIVE...

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Dear Friends:

We were taught, as children, that you have to give to others in order to receive from them. It seemed to follow that "the more that you give, the more that you will get." Pundits, success coaches and pop psychologists still cite the mantra that "you will acquire great wealth by helping others, and by fulfilling their needs."

I hesitate to point out to them such contrarian examples as Jesus Christ, Mother Theresa, and other great givers. Perhaps my mistake is in the timing of cause and effect -- perhaps I could be more comfortable with this generosity mantra if someone were to say to me instead that, "the more that you give in this life, the more you will receive (karmically, or through some other hermetic mechanism) in the next life." Of course, I would need certain guarantees regarding the hereafter in order to fully buy in.

The truth, at least during this life: The more you give, the more people will take. The more you give, the more people will demand. The more you give, the more people will feel that they are entitled to from you. The more you give, the less valuable will be the perception of your contribution, which will be taken for granted after a time. The more you give, the more depleted you will be. And if you continue to give beyond your means, or without adequate reward, the more embittered and impoverished you will become.

A solution: Give just enough to demonstrate good faith and competence. Thereafter, request reasonable compensation in exchange for what you provide. Conduct yourself on the assumption that Human Nature is such that you will not be paid, compensated or truly appreciated unless you demand of the recipients the respect that compensation affords. Uncompensated work tends to go unvalued, and speaks of either too much idle time or low self-esteem, neither of which makes you look particularly good. You can only afford to give to charity if you basic needs are met. Further, you cannot be a great philanthropist unless you are rich.

If you wish to be charitable and philanthropic, focus on getting adequately compensated firstly, and not secondly. Always be clear on the cause and effect. This is not an endorsement of selfishness or excessive greed -- this is merely a statement of priorities.

If you are a good-natured and talented or skilled soul, you will find your greatest challenge to be in creating and maintaining boundaries to enforce this directive. Taking Command is sometimes painful, but the rewards are great.

As a financial planning consultant once said to me..."Douglas, I can get all the clients I want if I don't charge fees." Thirty years later, I say, belatedly, "Amen!"

Don't sell yourself short. Ever.

Faithfully,

Douglas Castle

p.s. Follow me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/douglascastle, and at http://twitter.com/TNNW_BUZZWORKS . You can join Twitter (it's free) by going to http://twitter.com and opening an account.

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