Are you a leader person or a follower, and why do you think that is?
For me, the answer is obvious. Without a doubt, in my mind, I'm a leader. While it may be easy to think it could be due to my job position, I want to reassure you... and myself, that this just isn't the case. Not all managers are leaders, quite frankly, some powertrip and are straight-up jerks! Me? I'm the assistant manager for a local arcade, and that in itself is a literal blessing. And before you ask, no, it is not always fun and games... but sometimes I forget lmao. Am I a leader because of it? No way! But maybe, because I'm a leader, I was able to become a manager. Let's rewind <<<
Leadership isn't about telling others what to do. It's a state of mind. No, I'm not getting voodoo on you, just think about it for a second. One. Okay, here we go. Why do people follow others? The follower wants someone that they can trust to guide them to somewhere greater than where they were before. The challenge with being a follower is the fear of not being led in the best direction. If this gives you anxiety, consider becoming a leader. As a leader, you truly own yourself, not to call followers mindless, It's far from that. I feel that there is a greater learning potential to be guided and inspired as opposed to making decisions. A leader, on the other hand, must trust themselves enough to lead others to a cause they genuinely believe in. If my options include following something I don't believe in, then I most definitely rather lead that scenario. I can't even begin to wrap my head around how many times I've doubted my ability. After all of that, only to see the farce of my thinking. You gotta trust yourself first. It isn't about getting others to follow you, as much as it is becoming someone you yourself would follow. Now we aren't getting into responsibility here, if it is not your job then you are not accountable for those that follow you. If you are however getting paid for it at a 9 to 5, know the rules inside and out with confidence, and lead by example.
Sometimes my CSRs will have a distraught customer (in a children's arcade... IMAGINE), and they will argue against a store policy until the CSR crumbles and begins questioning themselves. They then come to grab me so I can set the record straight, or more often, clarify the policy for a customer that refuses to listen to them. Every time I come out to explain, the customer understands that they were requesting something not reasonable or not possible. Just today, I was called to help a customer who would not listen to a policy no matter how many times they were told by the CSR, saying that someone else said they could. Our company rewards good report card grades with free game credits, now isn't that nice? Well, the parent was upset that we could not accept the digital phone image of their child's report card. I immediately informed the parent that per our policy we are required to scan and copy the document for verification, and this is why it must be a physical copy only, it gets sent for auditing. The customer immediately understood and said okay. They weren't even rude. I feel for my CSR. You can't tell a customer "no" if there isn't a reason to. As someone in management, I always make sure to supply a reason.
A leader doesn't only think from one perspective, they convey their ideas and passions in a manner that can be easily understood by another. Most arguments are due to misunderstandings. By explaining to the customer why their request was not possible, they stopped demanding it is made so. Still can't believe they lied about a company policy that has been the same since conception though, we get some absolutely wild people in here. A leader understands that every decision needs a reason and if you follow someone else, they best have a better plan than you. Leading isn't about my way or the highway, it's kinda about being an opportunist if I'm being real with you!
I think I am a leader because I am passionate about what I want, and provide logical reasoning for it. I know that unless I can convince myself, I'm just being a con artist attempting to get others to follow my way purely for self-gratification. Dark? Not much. One of the things I've grown to enjoy is ordering the toys and plushes that go into our crane games. I get to decide exactly what goes where and provide the experience that I want the customers to have. It is the most rewarding experience to see someone smile over a prize they won. This was not an easy feat. The assistant before me always complained about how the general manager would never let them do anything or make any big choices like these. I was shook. Are we really talking about the same person here? When I finally started being able to continue where they could not, they chalked it up to favoritism. Now that, that's rude as fuck. No accountability for their own actions, which was one of the makings for a good leader. I digress, it didn't help my case that I was rehired into the company through a head executive, and the general manager of my work is good friends with the manager I used to have years ago. It's challenges like these, where I know I have to lead.
Special treatment wasn't the case at all. Surprise! I actually cared about my job and am aware that my choices directly affect those around me. I know, shocking. They never got permission to make those decisions, because it always came down to what they wanted, simply for the sake that they liked things that way. They only thought about themself. No regard to their plans working out on an objective level. I went a different route entirely, I didn't want to be anything like that. I learned how to modify the settings for the games. I learned about weights and price ratios and had historical data on game performance. I used all of these metrics to discover what would make these games profitable for the business while giving customers an enjoyable experience with trendy prizes. Through working for it, I was allowed to add flare and changes to an otherwise non-modifiable system. By following, you eventually get to lead. In my case, I followed the rules.
Being a leader is about being caring. No one wants to follow someone who only thinks about themselves, or does not have the best interest of others and themselves at heart. I don't think leaders are born, anyone can be a leader if they want it enough and are willing to stand behind their beliefs. Needless to say, karma won. I'll leave that up to your imagination what happened. Being a leader can be scary sometimes, but I always remember that by leading, you get to guide change.
