What if I Don't Want to be in Charge?

 

      This morning at Toastmasters Sandy gave a speech. The speech was about her leadership style. For this speech project, she had to take an assessment to determine her leadership style and give a speech based on that. Her style is coaching, which did not surprise me. She talked about her new job at a coffee shop in a leadership position and how her style helps her in her work. She also talked about a time where she needed to modify her style when there was an issue with a coworker. It was a good speech as all her speeches are.

   The speech highlights one of my frustrations with the new Toastmasters International program. I understand they needed to update their program. I get that they wanted to put in online so it is more accessible. What I don't understand is why they had to change it from a program that fosters better communication to a program that focuses on leadership training.

   Aren't there enough leadership training programs out there? I did a quick search on the internet and found ten of them not counting leadership training programs offered by various colleges. It seems like the prevailing attitude is that being in charge is not the best thing, it's the only thing.

   What if I don't want to be in charge? What if I don't want to be a coaching, visionary, servant, autocratic, bureaucratic, pacesetter, transformational, transactional or laissez-faire or any other kind of leader?

   Well, apparently it makes you a minority. Also maybe a little weird. Who wouldn't want to be in charge, the big cheese, chief, superior, kingpin (or queenpin) the leading light?

   Me, that's who. 

   I have been in leadership positions before. I was acting pharmacy manager three times at three different companies and pharmacy manager once. I wish I could say that those experience were good ones. I wish I could say that I stepped up to the plate and scored several home runs as a manager,

   I can't. The best thing I can say is that at least things didn't get worse under my stewardship. I was able to hand the pharmacy back to competent leadership with no major outstanding challenges. In the process of achieving that minimal goal I turned myself into a nervous wreck.  Not the way I want to spend my life.

   I thought that my problem was that I was an acting pharmacy manager. Maybe if I was a pharmacy manager it would be better. It wasn't.  I quickly discovered that I was temperamentally unsuited for management. Fortunately. I was able to find a job doing what I do best. I am a great staff pharmacist. (although in the interest of full disclosure, I was acting pharmacy manager one more time.)

   I don't think that the lack of desire to be in leadership should be considered unambitious or lazy. Those that choose to be in leadership need followers and support. The support part is one of my talents.

   I've been lucky in my career to have worked with with a few good managers whose strengths dovetailed neatly with mine. We worked as a very effective team and provided excellent service to our customers. One of the managers I had was great with the business side of pharmacy, but a bit weak on people skills. This is an area where I am fairly strong. I was able to deal with customers and with staff and resolve small everyday challenges. 

    The reality is that a leader needs a team behind her or him if anything is to get done. I'm not sure we need so many more good leaders as much as we need more people who can work together. The people who are the team getting things done or providing support should be recognized and appreciated.

  While I appreciate that Toastmaster International sees leadership training as the wave to ride on, I wish they'd offer a bit more content to those whose talents and inclination don't run in that direction.