Thanks to Sergeant Major David Auwen, USMC, a patriot and friend I served with while at Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Michigan, for posting this about Leadership and Garbage Trucks. I borrowed it and adapted it for Cowardly Leadership-Up Close and Personal.
Not “all” People, Just Cowardly leaders
The video shows the driver talking about how people are full of anger and frustration. I don’t think most people are angry and frustrated. In fact, I believe very few, especially in positions of authority, are consistently like that. At least, that’s been my experience.
I talk about cowardly leadership because the cowardly leaders I’ve run across are so memorable. But I’ve also stated on many occasions that the great majority of leaders I’ve worked for, and with, have been Real Leaders. Only a very few wear the cowardly leader tag.
For instance, I never worked for any cowardly leaders throughout my time in the military. Some were better than others, and some were demanding to the point of being unfair and unreasonable. However, I chalked that up at the time, and still do today, to the environment and pressure they were under, especially after 9/11. At no time did I ever feel they were unfair or demanding in order to further their personal gain, which is a fundamental trait of a cowardly leader.
Cowardly leaders dump it on you
To a cowardly leader, one of the bottom lines is that everything is someone else’s fault. By virtue of being in a position of authority, they have the opportunity to assess blame, rather than accept blame. To demand answers rather than accept responsibility.
As the driver says, they take whatever garbage has accumulated and dump it on you.
Words of Wisdom
“Don’t let their garbage spread to the people at work, or the people at home.”
One of the fundamental differences in how a Real Leader navigates through tough times, is, to the extent possible, she does everything possible to keep the garbage from spreading to her people. A cowardly leader intentionally spreads garbage, because it’s “their” fault. A Real Leader does the opposite. She smiles, waves, and says (even if only to herself), “I’ve got this.”
Love Those Who Treat You Right, and Pray for Those That Don’t
I could never get to that point- the second half of that. It’s easy to love those that treat you right. When I worked for a Real Leader – and to reiterate, that was most of the time- I would do anything for them. Go over and above for them. And the people who worked for me, I’m confident to say, would have done the same thing for me.
It’s easy to love up and down the chain of command in those environments.
But when you work for a cowardly leader, praying for them was something I never could do. I would pray for strength to get me through another day at work, or to handle another tirade. I’d pray for wisdom on how to handle an impossible directive.
However, praying for someone is the right thing to do, so do it if you can.
Words of Wisdom From a Waitress
I was at a national conference many years ago and went to lunch with a friend. We had one of the most professional waitresses I’ve ever experienced. On one of her stops at our table, I asked her, “You’re obviously busy and stressed, but you’re one of the most cheerful, helpful people I’ve ever seen. How do you do it?”
She had great advice that I forget all too often. She said: “I’ve learned that you’re about as happy as you make up your mind to be. So every day, I make up my mind to be happy.” It was as simple as that, but was profoundly important.
As the driver says at the end: “Life is 10% how you make it, and 90% how you take it.” Life, and work, and home, and people, are going to be cowardly at times. How you react and respond will dictate whether you join in as a cowardly leader, or rise to the higher level of Real Leader.
III-6
