On Leadership

I am not a leader. My limited knowledge of leadership is based on my experience as a cadet officer in Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC). So let me make it clear at the onset that my writing is just based on my own limited experience, and that this is more of a documentation of my learning or insight rather than a prescription on how to be one.

Leadership demands inspiration. I agree with John Maxwell's test of leadership: If nobody's behind you, you are no leader. You are just taking a walk.

Leadership does not come from mandate. It comes from respect, which usually comes from genuine care for the people you lead. If you want to lead, you have to care.

Leadership is a relationship (duh!). Leadership is not about legal authority, it's about people's trust in you.

Leaders put the needs and welfare of their people first, before one's own. Even in battle, the leader leads, not just commands.

In relation, a leader recognizes that it is best to motivate rather than command. A command is based on legal authority, a motivated action is based on a shared goal and values.

Leadership is about making tough decisions. You may consult, you may get inputs, but in the end, you have to make the call.

And in relation to that, leadership is about responsibility. Some organizations punish individuals who make wrong decisions. We cannot fault organizations for that as they have their purpose. Nonetheless, the leader has to make that choice, and take the responsibility for its outcome. The leader does not pass the buck.

The leader leads. Before a leader commands, and for me, before a leader should command, the leader does what he tells others to do. Don't expect other people to stick their necks out for something that their leader would not do.

The leader does not blame his or her own action to external forces. The choice is the leader's own.

The leader knows his goal and methods, and communicates these to his people. His people are not blind nor left alone wondering what will happen next.

Just my limited thoughts. I usually tell people I do not want to get promoted to leadership position, but I want to help people be their best.

Are these my expectations of leaders, in general? Yes. But I also know that leaders are humans.

And perhaps, that's my last. Leaders are humans. They think, they feel, they guess, and they struggle which ones of these will give him the proper input to have the best outcome... for his people, his flock.

Note: Forgive me for being not gender neutral. Leadership is not based on gender. All male pronoun references apply to all genders.

Quick Updates and Random Thoughts

Web-Based Performance Management Information System

I have to abandon the Google Fusion Tables-based performance information system as it is limited. Of course, that is not the only reason. The other, and real reason is that I got to actually make my own PHP-MySQL-based system. Although it is only at its initial stage (my most important achievement is a username-password protection system that ensures no page is accessible without proper login), I feel confident that I can achieve my intended system.... although when is another question.

Running and Performance Management 

Running is really a good exercise. But it does not only help one in physical fitness. It also helps me in approaching personal performance management.

When I run, I do not run alone. I do not run with a group, but the place I run is an ideal running area, with vehicles' speed in check, paved road, and less vehicles due to the security setup of the area.

Nonetheless, while I see other people run, I am reminded of the following to help me keep my pace, and ensure sustainability in my performance:

1. Keep my own comfortable pace. Focus on the distance of the run without incurring injuries.
2. Focus on my own performance. Do not compete against other runners. Other runners may have different reasons for running, which drives the way they run. I know why I run, and I will try to sustain it. 
3. Focus on the run. Do not think about other things. When I do, I slow down, and my mental activity increases fatigue.
4. Know how to prioritize. If you want to finish a big thing, you may need to abandon or remove secondary objectives. For example, as I hope to finish a 42-kilometer run in October, I am less inclined to target a sub-2 hour 21-kilometer. It's okay for me to finish it in 2 hours and 15 minutes, just five minutes faster than my last record. 
5. If you want to achieve something, do not compete with someone else. Compete against your own limitations, so that you improve on the measures that you need to and not based on some else's measures.

These are just some of my thoughts on comparing performance management with running.

New Spreadsheet Function Learned

So I learned how to use spreadsheet functions INDEX and MATCH to do two-dimensional or two-factor lookup. I will write about it in my next post in Technology for Teachers blog.