I have been scratching my head ever since I saw him climb to the front of the race for the Republican nomination, and today it struck me. There is a big part of this world that rewards that sort of leadership. We want someone to be large and in charge. Someone who says it like it is and is willing to take on our enemies. Like the iconic businessman, Lee Iacocca, said, "Decisiveness is the one word that makes a good manager." We want someone who will get it done -- now!
I am thinking this run's deep in our European psyche dating all the way back to the Ceasars, medieval Kings, and military generals that we used to worship.
And like most absurdities, there is a piece of this mindset that I find in my own heart.
At least 5 times I have had dreams in the last month about a situation at work that isn't going so well. It mercilessly eats away at me when I am ranked lower than others across the city.
And I have been thinking about my career. Next week, I will have been at Cypress Hills Local Development Corporation for 12 years, and I am starting to feel like an oddity. Few people in this field stay in the same role for that long.
Today, a great friend from up in Harlem hands me his card. I couldn't miss the label under his name, "Executive Director." "Oh, congratulations, Anthony," I said. A big smile crept across his face. I had no idea he had left his post helping young people on 125th St.
At the same event, I met another acquaintance from a decade ago, "Director of Programs" it says on her card. That's my supervisor's title. "Uh . . . congratulations," I say, "I'm so happy for you."
The odd thing is that I know what Executive Directors and Directors of Programs do, and it is not that fun, yet when I see that "success" something inside of me pulls a bit and in wistful moments I wonder if I could accomplish more.
There is a story I used to listen to as a child. It went something like this. Once there was a wise old king who had no children to pass on his kingdom to, so he called in his three most noble knights. He gave them each an empty gunny sack with no orders except to return in three months. The first went out and used his sack to start a shipping business. He was so successful that he made quite a profit, enough to fill his bag with gold to return to his king after 3 months. The second was also successful -- even more so. When he left the presence of the king, he immediately thought that a kingly thing to do would be to gather some friends and make raids on the enemies of his king. He was quite good at it and managed to inflict quite a few casualties. After three months he brought the spoils of war to his king. In fact, the original sack was not even big enough to carry all the jewels, diamonds and foreign treasures that he spilled out before the king. Finally, the third knight returned. "I am sorry, Oh King. As I left the palace three months ago, I heard the wailing of beggars just outside the gate. I rode on my horse to a neighboring town and bought bread to fill my sack. I returned and fed the beggars. The next day as I proceeded on my knightly quest, it happened again. I was distracted by shouting and wailing. I learned that a plague was causing great suffering and death in the poor part of town. I raced on my horse to the coastal town where new medicine had just arrived. I filled my sack to the breaking point, and rode as fast as I could back to the dying townspeople. It happened over and over again. I kept getting distracted on my way to fulfill your assignment, and now my time is up and I still have not filled your sack with treasure. Here is your gunny sack, worn and empty. Sorry."
As a tear trickled down his wrinkled face, the king descended from his throne and lifted his crown from his own head and placed it on the startled head of the third knight with the empty gunny sack. "Arise, my son, you are the new King."
Could it be that success is not measured by the size of your company, the number of people you supervise, or whether you met your annual performance goals? While the world cheers the billionaire, Lord, remind me to bring my empty gunny sack to lay at your feet 'cause all I really want is to hear the words, "Well done, thy good and faithful servant."
