Next in Line

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When I was in management, there was something we were always looking for. We called it, "Next in line." It was essentially keeping our eye out for the next talent who we felt was primed to be in a position to lead the crew. You never picked the guy who asked for it, or who wanted it, and 9 times out of 10 when a leadership position was posted, the selectee was already chosen, you just had to go through the motions. You also had to usually "nudge" the person. "Hey, did you see that team lead position posted?" "Yeah, I saw it." "Are you going to apply?" "Should I?" "Yeah, you might want to consider it." The idea behind this was that the best leadership were the ones who did not want power, they just wanted to get the job done. They didn't want to throw their weight around. They understood the needs of everyone, including themselves. They were not going to be one to see themselves as above the crew, but part of it, working side by side them toward a common goal that they understand is only possible when the crew is on their side and they know that their leadership has the crew's interests in mind. No one likes a boss who tries to put themselves above the crew. No one likes someone who forgets who is actually in charge. One thing good management understands is this. The crew is actually what keeps the wheels turning. Management is only there to ensure the wheels continue to turn efficiently, and that is ONLY accomplished when the crew respects the leader. Like I told one unruly boss more than once, "We can make these machines go fast, or we can make them go slow. And if we make them go slow, we know how to make it look like we're not doing it on purpose. And when the numbers go down, we won't be the ones fired. You will."