Benjamin B. Compton wrote:
> And the list can go on and on. . .
>
> James, I'm glad things at HP make you happy. That is an experience I long
> for, but which has evaded me. I worked at Novell because I believed in
> what I was doing was important, and was contributing to society in a
> positive way. I was willing to put up with the garbage because I thought
> that if enough of us rallied around a few good ideas we could change the
> culture and the business. There were a number of us who did rally around a
> few good ideas, and now we're all working somewhere else.
Ben--the two postings I received from you today (this one and your musing
on large organizations) recalled to me some thoughts from a little pocket
book that I carry around with me for "in-between" reading. I'm referring
to "The Tao of Leadership" by John Heider. One excerpt from that (there
are several I find relevant) you might consider:
"The wise leader is like water. Consider water: water cleanses and
refreshes all creatures without distinction and without judgment; water
freely and fearlessly goes deep beneath the surface of things; water is
fluid and responsive; water follows the law freely.
"Consider the leader: the leader works in any setting without complaint,
with any person or issue that comes on the floor; the leader acts so that
all will benefit and serves well regardless of the rate of pay; the leader
speaks simply and honestly and intervenes in order to shed light and
create harmony.
"From watching the movements of water, the leader has learned that in
action, timing is everything.
"Like water, the leader is yielding. Because the leader does not push,
the group does not resent or resist." (#8)
may you find your center--
Doc
--Richard C. "Doc" Holloway Visit me at http://www.thresholds.com/community/learnshops/index.html Or e-mail me at <mailto:learnshops@thresholds.com> Your partner for workforce development Mailing Address: P.O. Box 2361 Phone: 01 360 786 0925 Olympia, WA 98507 USA Fax: 01 360 709 4361
Learning-org -- An Internet Dialog on Learning Organizations For info: <rkarash@karash.com> -or- <http://world.std.com/~lo/>