Leadership, Who Needs It?
This leadership thing. People are always asking about it. Who has it? Where does it come from? What’s it look like? How will I know it when I see it? How can I get me some? And, maybe most importantly, what the heck do I do with it once I have it?
Is it something you are born with, like Norman Swartzkoff? Do you learn it in an academy like Roger Staubach? Is it thrust upon you like Charlie Brown?
Once you get some how do you pay for it? Who puts the price on leadership anyway? Having ability is one thing, getting ability out of others is just so much work. When does a guy with leadership screw off, play some Xbox, kick back? Sure being one of the owners of leadership gets you lots of props and most of the skinny girls. But, what about when things go South? Who catches all the hell? Yeah, it’s that damn guy that failed to use any leadership! What’s he doing, saving it up?
And, what happens when leadership suddenly abandons someone? Do they get to hang around the water cooler and just be one of the follower guys? Heck no! If you had leadership and left it somewhere or misplaced it, you might as well be a leper, get out! Having had the coveted leadership and forgetting where you left it is ten times worse than never having any at all. So if you see a guy that had leadership but let it slip out of his pocket, maybe think how he must feel before you say anything.
So, if somehow you stumble onto some leadership, what next? I’ll tell you what next, what next is leadership’s step brother accountability. Accountability boils down to everything that goes right or wrong is directly your doing. Leadership would be heaven without accountabiliy, but he is always there, always watching.
Now, some people around here have started asking: “Does new UM head coach Randy Shannon have leadership?” If so, how did he get it? Who did he learn it from? And, how will he demonstrate it? If there is one thing that is for sure, it’s that the head coaching position at the University of Miami not only requires leadership, it demands it! Coach Shannon has talked a lot about accountability, right? I guess we can check that one off. He played for Jimmy Johnson in both college and the pros and as a player won at every level, so he has that going for him too. Check that one. The only question remains, how will he demonstrate it as head coach at UM? Only time will answer that one.
But next time you see Coach Shannon, think about this, and if you would, kind of nod to him in respect. I mean after all, he’s got to have this leadership thing down or else, right? Otherwise, that whole accountability issue will start creeping up behind him awful quick and before you know it, will start looking pretty large in his rear view mirror.
Copyright2007 Ralph Crosby for Canespace.com
