Later this afternoon, I attend the graduation ceremony of another batch of officer cadets, 4 of whom will come under my hairy armpits...errr...I mean wings, and direct supervision come Tuesday =))
My latest trio of Space Cadets find themselves suddenly becoming 'old birds' although they have only been with me for 3 months. Soon, they will be grappling with their
gabra-ness and imparting their new-found knowledge to the new birds at the same time.
I hope it won't be a case of the blind leading the blind. But trust me, I will be lurking in the background, watching. The trick is to throw everyone into the proverbial deep-end from Day 1 and guide them along the way.
They are about half-way through a steep learning curve but by teaching and mentoring the new-comers, I hope they can better internalize some of the lessons and SOPs.
I have seen batches come and go. And I am happy to report that a good number of my guys and gals have left me for greater things within the organization. At least I think I have done some things right, steering them in the correct direction and making sure they get noticed by the gods and powers-that-be.
The mantra to my 8 current Younglings is,
Don't be the blip that dissappears off the big bosses' radar. Of course I mean that in a good way, not to be watched for all the wrong reasons! =)) The Academy churns out so many Cadets a year, each and everyone jostling for space on that increasingly congested corporate ladder. Its the survival of the fittest I tell them. Very Darwinian but what to do?
The nitty-gritty of everyday work is important but I feel my role is more than just equipping them with the requisite basic skills. I hate breeding robots. And any graduate worth his/her paper degree can do the job, normally.
But its not easy sometimes, grooming leaders.
How do you teach someone to constantly have the bigger picture in mind? To be on the
correct ball, not the wrong one. To alternate between being disciplinarian and friend without losing the trust and respect of your men. To understand empathy because you have to think like a subordinate before you can manage one. The concept of taking a calculated risk as opposed to a risky gamble. Accountability and taking responsibility. Playing the political game and coming out the better for it. Thinking on your feet, quickly no less. The meaning of sacrifice. And being a good and discerning judge of character.
Some people tell me these things take years to develop. And sometimes when the 8 of them stare at me blankly after I tell them they need a major mental paradigm shift, I begin to believe this is true.
I hope one day, they will understand and appreciate what I am talking about. There are signs that they do.