Y'know, at work today, I came across some goofy leadership moment stuff in a meeting today that was actually interesting (since it didn't come from my boss). It came from a co-worker. It's a summary of the leadership secrets of Attila the Hun (or as Blue knows him, Etzel). It's a summary of a short book a guy wrote on the subject. I just wanted to see how my practices in running Lava Dome Five compared to his. So let's see! Here are the 11 points made, and my thoughts.
1.
You've got to want to be in charge. He said you had to lust after it. Well, I do like being in charge, but only because of the freedom it gives
me. I'm not looking to rule over a kingdom. So I guess I'm mixed on this one.
2.
Always appear as the one in charge. Okay, definitely epic fail on this one, at least for the most part. The point was to always have the best horse and sword and all that kinda stuff, but not to appear pompous. Considering I hide behind Blue and Jenn alla time on this, still epic fail.
3.
Make others adapt to your customs. Oy. This sounds more like Blue. "Make people do things YOUR way. Refuse to acknowledge any other way of doing things other than how YOU do things." In truth, I fit this quite a bit. Sure, I don't say you have to believe in my philosophy to be a part of LD5, but the first person to whine about their artwork was posted here without their permission would get SUCH a stinkeye it's not funny.
4.
Never condone a lack of morale or discipline. Yeah, epic fail here, see Blue for examples. According to Attila, I should fire on the first sign of disobedience when it's willful. Yeah, right!
5.
Never tolerate anyone with their own ambitions. I guess I agree and adhere to that, in principle. However, I do enjoy watching boobs fail, so in that respect, I guess I tolerate it.
6.
Perpetuate a legend or reputation for yourself. *clears throat* Hrm. Nawwwww, I don't have a reputation, do I? This is a silly question. Next question. Can we get to the next question already?
7.
Pick your enemies wisely. Ahh, I like this one. "Do not consider all opponents or everyone you argue with enemies. These are accidental enemies. Choose your enemies with purpose." Yep, I follow that advice. Of course, people seem to think I have tons of enemies, or that I would consider the Evil Empire(tm) an enemy. I really don't. They really are more 'accidental.' I mean, the world needs retards, right? Who else is gonna make us look good?
8.
Expect continual improvement. Yikes. Okay, with very few exceptions (the muck software is a turd that should never be polished), this is definitely a Blue mania-trait. He can have this one. I'm too lazy.
9.
Use timing in making decisions. Oh, good, it's the anti-Blue! I'm all over this one.
"Never rush a decision; use timing." Yay!
10.
Exploit the desire to enjoy the spoils of war. "Grant small rewards for light tasks, reserve heaps of booty for other times, and be generous with things you yourself value." Actually, it seems the point to this is to always remember you can buy obedience. Yeah, I'm all over this one!
11.
Only engage in wars you can win. Amen! "Waging war is a natural condition." Damn it, there's Blue again.
So that's it. I guess I follow quite a bit of ol' Attila's advice. So next time you see me leading an army of nanosaurs towards a slipper, you know I
fucking mean bid'ness.