He's A Very Good Leader

This semester, I'm taking one 'design project' course with 10 of my "classmates" in the program and 5 or 6 other guys apparently in the same program, but at a different campus. They're the entire program and it was easier on the schedule to make them come to us instead of hiring another instructor. As long as they have the commute --fine.

On our first day, we split into small groups to come up with a semester-long project. We'd voice our ideas and then relay them to everyone before voting "Survivor-style" until we had one project remaining.

They picked mine.

No, I hadn't thought it through or anything, it was just off the top of my head, so there's plenty of work to be done. Fortunately, I have 16 people working on it with me.

In the second class, we sat down and met off-and-on for 4 hours to expand on the project and split it into sections so that all 17 of us have something to do. That's when they decided since I'd come up with the original idea, then I'd be the one to make the decisions.

And at that point the instructor said I was to take over the class for the day. So, for a few hours, I was in charge of every little bit --basically meaning I wasn't getting any work done as 16 people had questions as to how they were going to do their part of this project. Not much of a problem. We're all working collectively and I'm there to give direction.

But more than one person noted that I had presence in that room the moment I wanted it.

You know, I really wonder why some people see that in me and others don't. I'm not trying to sound egotistical, because I've been told for years that I have skills pertaining to leadership (I was even elected to lead office in my youth group 4 times which was never done before --or since) In university, I was told by classmates and a couple profs that I was good standing at the front of the room. More than one classmate thought for sure I'd be a teacher some day.

But all I think about is where I last worked and they way I was treated there. When I thought I could 'help' I was shot down. I can recall quite clearly the attitude of one guy when I suggested he make a slight change on the website to reflect software necessary to view some parts of it. I got chided for suggesting such a thing as it had already been implemented.

Bull. He did it right after I suggested it.

I had that a lot where I'd suggest something, get a reprimand for interfering, and then they'd do it anyway.

That sucked. But, I am for the most part over it. I'm not there anymore and never have to deal with them anymore.

Too bad my wife's insisting on working there all the time now.