Leadership

[SMP]

That's pretty black and white. What if you want to continue the martial art and that is the only way. You can once have high respect for your teacher, and if lost, then just a common respect. But, respect can be regained, it is not impossible. Humility on the part of the instructor who does not have respect is the key and of course, the time to build it back. Of course, if you never respected your instructor, why join in the first place? TW

Tigerwoman - how do you distinguish between high respect and common respect ? I do agree that respect can be regained if some one has not done something to bad.

 

[TigerWoman]

Common respect is to a stranger in the street, a fellow human being. For an acquaintance I know a little about, more. For someone who has skills, is courteous, can teach me, that would go up a notch. If he professes integrity but also has it (tested integrity) that would go up considerably. If he not only thinks about himself but trys to put others first, that would go up considerably.

I am in that very process of working with someone who is trying to regain respect. What he did hurt alot of people. Bad enough. I have also known others. We are a "human" race. We make mistakes. Some people make worse mistakes, evil mistakes because I believe they are sick, mentally. Those that cannot mentally come back cannot be respected ever, especially if they would think nothing of doing the same "crime" again. If you can't trust and there is no remorse, there can't be much respect, other than you can respect the fact that they could potentially hurt you.

But those that have remorse, humility for their acts and seek to change and improve themselves, with some degree of distrust, depending on their offense, we do let them do steps back to acceptance and respect. TW

 

[SMP]

Can you learn from an instructor you don't consider a leader?

 

[pete]

Can you learn from an instructor you don't consider a leader?

BINGO!

one does not have to be a strong leader to instruct or educate, and conversely, an effective leader is not necessarily always the best teacher of a specific skill.

we should look at the roles of teacher and leader from the perspective of student and disciple...
and keep them clear as we teach, learn, lead, and follow.

pete

 

[SMP]

very good analogy

 

[rmcrobertson]

Rule #1:

Anybody who claims to be a leader, or who has attended any sort of leadership classes (with the significant exception of those in the military or police), and who hasn't apologized, is not a leader. They're hucksters.

Ross Perot appears to have been a weird little creep. But Molly Ivins says different, somewhat, so I am probably wrong about this.

Leaders are made," by history, culture, circumstance. Planning to be a leader is a lot like planning to be Christ.

 

[Tgace]

While its kind of specific to LEO Leadership, this is an excellent article about what traits make a good leader.

http://www.neiassociates.org/sergeant.htm

 

[chinto01]

Great article and thanks for the info.

 

[Tgace]

"People ask the difference between the leader and the boss. The Leader leads. The Boss drives."-Theodore Roosevelt

 

[ghostdog2]

A question, posed respectfully, to many who have posted to this thread:
Are you investing a bit too much of yourself in your dojo? Presumably you have spouses, boy/girl friends, siblings, friends, family, hobbies and interests. Not to mention school or a job; Maybe even a career. All existing outside the MA world. Why/how would you give so much power to a MA instructor? Are you looking for a guru or a good workout? Why would anyone listen, other than politely, to a MA instructor's ideas about anything beyond the technique he /she was demonstrating at the moment?
Could it be that the instructor is, in many cases, doomed to failure because of the unrealistic expectations of the students? Are you there to learn MA or to be lectured on morality and responsibility? There is no better place to learn the former than a dojo. As for the latter? Look elsewhere or risk real "mis-information" and disappointment. If one expects to get all his needs met under one roof-and help teaching the kids sound values and good morals while we're at it-look somewhere else, anywhere else, but for goodness sake, not to some part time phys. ed. teacher who calls himself sensei and expects a bow in the bargain. As my kids would say,Duuhhh, Dad. Reality check.
T'gace's post was excellent. To finish on topic, I should add that I do not expect to find a lot of leaders at the top of the MA world. But that's not why I'm there.

 

[Tgace]

How you can be an effective leader.

Are leaders born or made?

 

[Rick Wade]

A question, posed respectfully, to many who have posted to this thread:
Are you investing a bit too much of yourself in your dojo? Presumably you have spouses, boy/girl friends, siblings, friends, family, hobbies and interests. Not to mention school or a job; Maybe even a career. All existing outside the MA world. Why/how would you give so much power to a MA instructor? Are you looking for a guru or a good workout? Why would anyone listen, other than politely, to a MA instructor's ideas about anything beyond the technique he /she was demonstrating at the moment?
Could it be that the instructor is, in many cases, doomed to failure because of the unrealistic expectations of the students? Are you there to learn MA or to be lectured on morality and responsibility? There is no better place to learn the former than a dojo. As for the latter? Look elsewhere or risk real "mis-information" and disappointment. If one expects to get all his needs met under one roof-and help teaching the kids sound values and good morals while we're at it-look somewhere else, anywhere else, but for goodness sake, not to some part time phys. ed. teacher who calls himself sensei and expects a bow in the bargain. As my kids would say,Duuhhh, Dad. Reality check.
T'gace's post was excellent. To finish on topic, I should add that I do not expect to find a lot of leaders at the top of the MA world. But that's not why I'm there.

I think Leaders come in several different shapes (for lack of better words).

Ministers are leaders but yet we all have different levels of devotion.

Teachers (in School) are leaders and our children have different levels of devotion to School work.

And Instructors (Sense are leaders and every student has a different level of devotion just like the rest of society and there leaders.

Our President is a leader and yet we had citizens that don't like him and even defect to other countries as well as sell secrets.

So I think it is our responsibility as Person to pick the people in our lives that have a positive influence and try to be let that person be a positive influence on you therefore you can be a positive influence on someone else.

It is our responsibility to be good role models to students.

Just my thoughts.

P.S. My Instructor is only 6 months older than me and an excellent role model both inside and outside of the School setting.

I only work with him in Kenpo once a week for about three hours per class.

All of my children are learning Kenpo in some for or another. they as well as my wife and me still have other activities and family time.


V/R

Rick English

 

[Tgace]

From The Stuff of Heroes: The Eight Universal Laws of Leadership (Longstreet Press, 1988) William A Cohen, Ph. D.

"The Combat Model"

1. Maintain Absolute Integrity
2. Know Your Stuff
3. Declare Your Expectations
4. Show Uncommon Commitment
5. Expect Positive Results
6. Take Care of Your People
7. Put Duty Before Self
8. Get Out in Front

 

[arnisador]

I just finished this leadership book:
It's Your Ship: Management Techniques from the Best Damn Ship in the Navy, by Michael Abrashoff

Simple but good advice.

 

[RickRed]

From The Stuff of Heroes: The Eight Universal Laws of Leadership (Longstreet Press, 1988) William A Cohen, Ph. D.

"The Combat Model"

1. Maintain Absolute Integrity
2. Know Your Stuff
3. Declare Your Expectations
4. Show Uncommon Commitment
5. Expect Positive Results
6. Take Care of Your People
7. Put Duty Before Self
8. Get Out in Front

What are some examples of these ideas in action?

 

[Tgace]

Simplified......

Maintain Absolute Integrity: Actually trying to live up to all the high falutin' stuff you babble on about in internet forums would be a start.

Know Your Stuff: Actually know some of the stuff you talk about and be able to do/show it.

Declare Your Expectations: Have some sort of plan, just saying "Im going to lead this organization into the next phase" isnt enough.

Show Uncommon Commitment: Dont ditch ideas/people/missions so easy.

Expect Positive Results: Dont be so paranoid.

Take Care of Your People:Enough said.

Put Duty Before Self: Dont think that everything is about YOU.

Get Out in Front: Do your own dirty work, have some guts, deal with your own problems, be a leader and "lead". Dont use other people as shields/pawns/tools.

 

[tshadowchaser]

Very well said

 

[Tgace]

http://www.fortliberty.org/military-library/leadership.shtml

USMC Leadership traits

INTEGRITY
Uprightness of character and soundness of moral principle. Absolute truthfulness and honesty.
KNOWLEDGE
Acquired information, including professional knowledge and understanding of your Marines.
COURAGE
A mental quality that recognizes fear of danger or criticism, but enables a Marine to proceed in the face of it with calmness and firmness.
DECISIVENESS
Ability to reach decisions promptly and to announce them in a clear, forceful manner.
DEPENDABILITY
The certainty of the proper performance of duty.
INITIATIVE
Seeing what has to be done and commencing a course of action, even in the absence of orders.
TACT
The ability to deal with others without creating offense.
JUSTICE
The quality of being impartial and consistent in exercising command.
ENTHUSIASM
The display of sincere interest and exuberance in the performance of duty.
BEARING
Creating a favorable impression in carriage, appearance, and personal conduct at all times.
ENDURANCE
The mental and physical stamina measured by the ability to stand pain, fatigue, distress, and hardship.
UNSELFISHNESS
Avoidance of providing for ones comfort and personal advancement at the expense of others.
LOYALTY
The faithfulness to country, Corps, unit, and to your seniors and subordinates.
JUDGEMENT
The quality of weighing facts and possible solutions on which to base a sound decision.

 

[DrBarber]

As kind of a tangent to the "successorship" threads around this board...I started thinking about some of the root causes (as I see them) of in-fighting over titles, rank etc. I think that to get past this stuff, people have to start exhibiting some sort of leadership. What is martial arts leadership? I found a good article (listed below) that touches on some interesting points. Let me say up front that I am not saying that anybody in particular here/there or anywhere is a "target" that this stuff is directed at. Just an attempt at some constructive dialouge in a topic that many here are interested in.


http://www.chitoryu.com/leadership.htm

Leadership
Leaders are like Eagles, "Eagles don't flock-you have to find them one at a time."-H. Ross Perot

I cut a lot of this post for the sake of brevity. The basic point that want to make is that you are Right on Target, TG. Leadership is more than a title or ranking in a corperation, military or martial arts context. Leadership is behavior. Bad behavior means bad leadership.

Jerome Barber, Ed.D.

 

[Tgace]

One of my favorite parts

http://www.chitoryu.com/leadership.htm

Character

Shamefully so, martial arts leadership can be like any other leadership. It is solely dependant on the individual leader's admirable or destructive character. Some people will tell you one thing to your face and then say something totally different behind your back. I am not referring to comments kept from someone in order to keep from hurting someone's feelings, but instead comments that are in most every case totally untrue and used in an attempt to discredit the one being attacked while at the same time attempting to increase the attacker's personal status. Whenever we run into someone like this, we need to remember that this is part of their character and you can bet everything you own, if they are talking to you about someone else, they are talking to someone else about you when you are not around. Generally speaking, these types of people will never change regardless of what happens. The only way that these people could ever change, would be for them to face the facts about themselves and most of them would never choose to do that. Therefore, as long as this is part of who they are, they could not change even if they wanted to!