September 22, 2006
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Giving and taking ... orders
Some days I think that I want to be the one giving the orders, but most of the time the truth is that I'm much happier if someone just tells me what to do, lets me do it, and then pays me for it. I like the idea of ordering others around, but I am not comfortable assuming responsibility for making order out of anything broader than my pantry or my shelf of poetry.
One of the transition points we discussed in my class at the Iowa Summer Writing Festival this year was that of assuming a mantle of leadership. It seems that many people reach a point in life where they realize, by golly, I know the best way to get this done and I can lead others to just do it.
I have gone in the opposite direction. At one time in my life, I was confident that I not only knew A way to get it done, but THE way to get it done. Now, I'm much more aware that not only are there many ways, but some of them are in a dead tie for the best. And moreover, it doesn't matter that there is no single right way.
I was thinking about this because after a time of fear and wondering what on earth I thought I could possibly do to achieve anything more than survival, I'm finally at a place where I'm confident that I can and will thrive. I'm blooming where I'm planted. But I have no desire to tell anyone else how or where to bloom, I even lack confidence that I should be asked the question.
Oddly, the less interested I am in leading, the more it seems I'm asked to do just that. I'm getting really good at giving people a tactful answer instead of the shocked stare, but really. Shouldn't a leader have a clue where to go next? Shouldn't a leader have a realistic idea of what is psosible and take on at least somewhat acheiveable tasks?
I had an odd moment earlier this week. My best friend mentioned that several states depend upon the snows of Colorado to irrigate their fields and fill their rivers. I found myself nodding and mentally rolling up my sleeves as though I'd just been given an order to take care of making sure we had snow here. o_0 And if there's anyone out there who isn't yet convinced that it would not be a good idea to follow me anywhere, maybe that will do the trick!
Lift Your Right Arm
Peter Cherches
Lift your right arm, she said.
I lifted my right arm.
Lift your left arm, she said.
I lifted my left arm. Both of my arms were up.
Put down your right arm, she said.
I put it down.
Put down your left arm, she said.
I did.
Lift your right arm, she said.
I obeyed.
Put down your right arm.
I did.
Lift your left arm.
I lifted it.
Put down your left arm.
I did.
Silence. I stood there, both arms down, waiting for her next command. After a while I got impatient and said, what next.
Now it's your turn to give the orders, she said.
All right, I said. Tell me to lift my right arm.
Comments (4)
I don't think leadership is about giving or following directions it is about motivating others to use their minds to get a common goal accoplished. Judi
I hear you on that: But I have no desire to tell anyone else how or where to bloom. Neither do I! All I could say is what works for me...but I'm fully aware that may not work for someone else. In most things...one size does not fit all.
The last time someone told me to raise my right arm, what I heard next was, "sold to the lady in blue."
Whether you know it or not, you are leading (right now). You are leading by example, of how to be a good mother, person, writer, etc... You have faced and overcome challenges, kicked adversity in the face, and are successful by being the best you can be. In sharing this blog, you are a leader, and I admire you.
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