Are you familiar with the Peter Principal? Introduced by Dr. Laurence Peter the proposal connects hierarchies and their employees rising to his or her level of incompetence, if you do a great job you get promoted. The process repeats itself over and over until you reach a point or job you can’t handle.
The Peter Principal…
Published author and Social Networking mastermind Seth Godin paints somewhat of the same canvas believing every organization features its share of hard working, deeply dedicated employees ready to take aim and lead but end up falling flat at the moment of performance due to becoming paralyzed by fear.
Such an evil word that four letter thing. Fear has the strength to steal everything you own without kicking down the front door.
Godin describes leadership as being the essence of being aware of what you fear and having the gift to see it in others wanting to lead.
Instantly I’m shot back to my Native American studies where the Medicine Man calmly walked through the dirt covered unpaved paths patiently waiting for the young child whose actions and reactions spoke out stronger then the best warrior. A Medicine Man spent his entire life teaching his methods of communication be it following the flow of wild game, studying the path of weather, blending plant life with shapeless water and so on…for the wise one to guarantee peace within the circles they kept; leadership was a requirement and getting to it on demand invited a promise in tomorrow.
The Peter Principal has the ability to level a growing field of wild roses just as much as it can purify a modern day work space too clear leaving you with hordes of dreamers but no worker bees to collect an enormous amount of pollen from flowers willing to give it away but without proper leadership it dries under the hot summer sun.
When I hear of family and friends choosing unemployment over seeking an hourly position it’s no different than a robber hoisting a gun to my head then whispering, “Be cool stay home from school.”
If the Peter Principal plays out within the walls of the work zone, why can’t it regenerate its energy over and over again in the halls of home eventually leading a one time deeply involved builder, designer, communicator and or shop foreman into believing their worth is completely justified by earning less and less?
What becomes of a nation when Corporate America realizes there’s too many willing to do it for free?
Leadership is being aware of what you fear and having the gift to see it in others wanting to lead.
Being disposable has made us what? For nearly a week my sister Susan questioned my decision of not taking the valuable record collection with me after the first divorce, “I was there when you worked endlessly at the bowling alley just so you could purchase the hot new songs and posters from Peter Frampton, Bad Company, Boston and Foreigner. It’s not fair that you gave away your childhood!”
Incorporating the Peter Principal approach; I’d say letting go of a childhood record collection put me in several positions where my leadership suffered because I gave in too quickly. When you begin the process of allowing a chunk of clay control you the end result is a rock that collects moss.
Look into the soul of fear and take the first step of being aware of what you fear and begin the process of understanding that you aren’t alone. Fear of bugs, heights and people will probably keep you from holding down a job at Terminix.
Allow yourself to walk the bookstore lanes labeled leadership and pick up a few tips from John C Maxwell, Anthony Robbins, Eckhart Tolle, Donald Trump and others who’ve lived the life and are willing to do what the Medicine Man of past chapters loyally performed daily; slowly walk the dirt covered unpaved paths calmly searching for the one who acts and reacts with better skills than the best warrior.
Stop reading books and study them. Pull in one page then set it down and digest it. Allow your eyes to see the real world then compare what you read to current events surrounding the moment at hand. Play the game: If I was the manager of this place I would…
What have you given up that has served as the hidden little secret that’s taught you how to easily give things up? How much of a role does the Peter Principal play in your personal life and does it run over onto the places you call a career? Are you being controlled by fear?
The most difficult thing about dealing with a great leader is how crass they come across; is it crass or just a determination to see things through in a world where its far to easy to say I don’t have to participate. The Peter Principal goes round and round taking more and more each day you spin. Where could you be doing today if?
And that’s where your journey begins. I will always believe in you first.
arroecollins@clearchannel.com
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