JMA, Ken, Ulenspiegel (Till ),

Bear with me as I start slow, and let's see if i can build from there.

My observation (fm surferbeetle...the five page picture book ) that successful leaders are multifaceted leads me to believe that in very general binary terms there is a a leadership and a, for want of a better word, management component to being a successful leader.

  • My simplified mental equation is: leadership skills + management skills = leader


  • Leaders are ranked each day, by activity, by all of 'us' and the order of merit list changes continually...no one has ever earned a 100


Recall our days on the playground...various groups of kids, someone in the 'center' of each - attracting others & directing and prioritizing & allocating resources for group activities...proto leadership and management skill sets on display.

We all 'know' by observation that successful leaders have the ability to influence others to accomplish tasks (leadership skills)

  • Leaders encounter various levels of opposition/friction from individuals within the group which vary by task, hour, and day.


  • Leaders encounter various levels of assistance from individuals from individuals within the group which vary by task, hour, and day.


  • There are key individuals within a group, who when influenced positively or negatively can impact the accomplishment of a task by acting as catalysts for subgroups.


  • Leaders know and are known to individuals in a variety of different groups


  • Groups, and subgroups, can be aggregated into 'mental buckets' or demographics and approximately described and characterized which can help with the 'how to' of how to influence


We all 'know' by observation that leaders have the ability to prioritize efforts and allocate resources (management skills)

  • Leaders make it a point to understand what resources are available


  • Leaders are themselves skilled at prioritizing and using resources


  • Leaders are able to understand (deeper than know) and articulate 'innate' group priorities


  • Leaders present credible allocation options that are inline with group priorities


  • Leaders help group members gain access to resources


Leader status is not a certainty, it has to be earned for each task, each day. Regular challenges are part of nature...survival of the fittest...however the military provides a hierarchy which can be leveraged to minimize this daily struggle/chaos, and conversely which allows for the continued survival of those not necessarily deemed as fit.

Best is indeed the sworn enemy of good enough, and Americans (and engineers) need to guard against the detrimental application of an innate desire to build a better mousetrap...who gets to decide when the threshold of detrimental has been crossed is an enduring question

Quote Originally Posted by Ken White View Post
...and thinking, as always, hurts...
Yes it does