Teamwork, really?
Can I pick a different topic?
If I was the only one reading this (which is probably closer to the truth than I would like to admit), I would say that my track record of working with others is impeccable. I am assertive, professional, cautious, critical, strategic, and calculated. I listen well, respect the opinion of others, appreciate feedback, and encourage input from the team. I am all of these things, one hundred percent of the time, assuming that my conditions are met perfectly.
Of course, in order for me to be a team player, I need to be the leader of the team. My ideas must be met with little to no resistance. The feedback must all be positive, and serve to further emphasize the areas in which I am right. The team needs to acknowledge my role as the leader when things go well, and accept the blame if the project fails. I expect others to be flexible, while accepting my rigidity, and to praise my humility, as I boast proudly with arrogance.
Good leaders lead.
They push.
They work.
They contribute.
They appreciate.
They praise.
They encourage.
They share.
Bad leaders point.
They blame.
They ignore.
They undermine.
They disrespect.
They divide.
The cancer of the team is always quick to criticize, and seldom contributes. One part criticism requires one part solution.
Being a team player, a worker among workers, a respected and contributing equal, who is part of the whole, is an art. It’s a skill which I have much to learn. I have seen good leaders lead, I have seen bad leaders blame, and I have seen team players poison as well as uplift. I have been all of these things at different times and in different environments.
There is a great deal to be learned from the team player, who quietly and unforcefully establishes their role through humility and gentility. And, I have much to learn.
Peace, Love and all things Beef related,
Beefcake
