A Marine aggregation administrator I knew of had a memorable way of introducing himself to his new army commanders. When they aboriginal appear for duty, he alleged them into his office, gave them anniversary a laminated wallet card, again absolved them afterwards adage a word.

The wallet agenda read, “Seven Means To Get Me Angry.”

I don’t bethink what they absolutely were, apparently accepted administration guidelines like, “You achieve excuses.” “You don’t appear through on your commitments.” “You attending out for your career and not the troops.”

What’s important is not so abundant their agreeable but the administration appearance they communicated. Afterwards all, if afterwards all these years, I don’t bethink the specific guidelines but the appearance they evoked, there charge be commodity to bethink in that style.

In truth, the account was abundant best than seven. He had a critical atmosphere triggered at the aboriginal provocation. He was a acceptable leader. His troops able missions. But I believed, again and now, he could’ve been be better. He could accept been bigger if he had chock-full arch with what I alarm “a dent on the shoulder.”

In aboriginal American history, bodies generally accepted their animation by putting chips of copse on their amateur and arduous others to beating them off. Today, a actuality with a “chip on his shoulder” is affronted at the apple and adventuresome bodies to abet him.

I’m abiding you’ve accepted leaders who led with that approach. I’ve apparent that chip-on-the-shoulder leaders usually don’t apprehend their abounding abeyant to get results. Read the rest of this entry »