Leadership Advice for the Great Collapse

So, the sky really is falling and now what do we do about it? Panic? Run? Hide? Now is the time we really need those brave souls with the long-view vision of where and what they want to accomplish, with nerves of steel that won't be frightened or driven by short-term incentives.


I've been working for most of my life, from very early on, starting from the summer of my thirteenth year, I've always had a job. This is my kind of luck, not the lottery or bingo luck, but employment luck. (God, please don't let me jinx myself with these words, especially in the time of the Great Collapse. I really am grateful and even though I complain about work, I am utterly thrilled to be employed right now.) My point is not that I've been working for more than a little while , but that I've seen a lot of good and bad managers, so this is really for you, Mr. Manager, from me, your Worker Bee. My leadership advice, in the time of the Great Collapse, for what it's worth.


There's a vision, a personal statement or brand that each of us has. Whether we are walking down the street, meeting a client, a colleague, the Pope or the grocery clerk, we bring ourselves wherever we go. So how do people view you? Start looking in the mirror, and start really understanding the other guys' point of view. What do they see, think, feel when they think of you?


One of the best bosses I ever had was able to change and mold herself to meet the needs of the person she managed. If so and so needed more guidance, then she'd meet with them more often. If someone else only needed them when they had a problem, she'd know if she heard from them, it was serious. If another person just needed reassurance, that's what she offered. A kick in the pants to get you moving in the right direction? Then you got that. She never treated anyone unfairly, never pressed down on her staff unnecessarily, despite the pressures and manipulations from her bosses. She remained calm and collected when crises struck. She planned. She organized. She knew who she was in the world and was not about to degrade her own person to please anyone else.


BUT, because she saw people, she SAW people. She noticed them, recognized them and understood them. If you were going through a rough period, it mattered. If you were celebrating a personal victory, it mattered. If you were putting in extra efforts, she noticed.

Noticing people, valuing them, and I don't mean giving some lip service about how important people are, this seems like a very simple way to show appreciation. Imagine yourself as a little kid, trying to get your mother's attention and she's distracted, not paying any attention to you at all. You might start acting up and getting into all sorts of trouble. Now imagine the mother, really present, really enjoying your company. Picture your mother really laughing at something you said or did. Doesn't that feel great, getting recognized and appreciated from your mother? Now, think of yourself as the mother and the kid as your staff. Pay attention to your kids, notice them and appreciate them. If the kid needs a lift, give them a lift, a kick in the butt, well, what's a mother for, anyway?

Maybe your company has to reign in raises. Money is tight and well, that's the way it is and everyone understands it, so that's okay. Of course, you have to think about cash flow and revenue and so on. But, reward people a different way and keep them motivated. Can you let people know you appreciate their dedication and hard work, not using a pay raise? Can you give them some extra comp time? Can you have an employee of the quarter award? Can you motivate them to save money on the budget, giving them a percentage of the savings they manage to produce for you? What can you do to empower them to help you? Think outside the box here, because if you want effective empowered teams, you have to trust.

If you can, right now, I would absolutely think of opportunities. How can you streamline? How can you re-organize, change and improve processes? Have high expectations and expect your staff to live up to those expectations. Pay it forward. Whatever opportunities you had in the past, try to be the one with the vision to think in the long-term, not just the short-term.

So many things can motivate people. Use this truth. Why do soldiers go to war and love their leaders? Use some of that. People really need to keep their jobs right now, but please, do not use this as a way to keep people fearful. Fear means hoarding information, no collaboration and stifles the heart. Right now, we need to take heart, rely on one another and bring out the best in each other, not promote self-serving, anxious behavior.

2008, The Year of the Scoundrels

2008, good riddance.

What a year for scam artists, connivers and scoundrels. Government bureaucrats, business tycoons and industry manipulators go a bit too far this time and now we're all suffering. I sometimes feel like I buy the club they get to hit me with. Apparently, there's no stopping anyone or anything if the TV tells us it's all for our own good. And the fox keep watching the chicken. How the heck do you put a Senate seat up for auction, anyway?

I'll be glad for the end of the Bush years and remain (stupidly?) hopeful for the Obama era to begin. Godspeed and God Bless, Barack!