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(U) The Bald Truth: The Sweet Conspiracy
FROM: Charles H. Berlin III
SID Chief of Staff
Run Date: 11/14/2003
(U) One of my leadership tenets is: Excellence is
having a stake in someone else's success . I
contend that you are never excellent if you merely
perfect your area of responsibility. It is not until you reach out to
make sure the next guy looks good that you break into the band of
excellence. I even ask my subordinates to specifically target
someone for success and take him or her on as a personal project.
This takes the whole thing to a practical level. I have seen people
competing with one another as to who can make who look better.
It is a powerful positive cycle. It makes people work for something
other than themselves and is generally healthier in the end.
(U) But I today want to talk about targeting your boss for success.
Yes, that's right, your boss. Unfortunately, our cynical nature has
branded working hard for the boss as automatically some kind of
sycophantic, self-promoting evil. While every organization has its
share of suck-ups, we really need to allow the boss some
prerogatives to chart the future, and accept our responsibility to
work hard to achieve that vision. Let's develop a sweet conspiracy
to make the boss (and the organization) look good. This will be
more important as you mature and you are able to see the boss's
shortcomings. It is always a shock when you finally figure out the
boss is human and trying hard to make up for his weaknesses sometimes by covering them up, sometimes with a bit of bluster
and sometimes with denial. A good subordinate should conspire to
fill the gaps. In my case it takes a village to get together and cover
my personal weaknesses (ask my front office!), but there is
nothing wrong with getting the gang together and figuring out how
to support the boss. Give it a try.
SERIES:
The Bald Truth
1. The Bald Truth:
Technical Leadership
2. The Bald Truth: The
Sweet Conspiracy
3. The Bald Truth: P3 &
Promotion Feedback
4. The Bald Truth:
Helping Your Leaders
Make Decisions that
Stick
5. Letters to the Editor:
Helping Your Leaders
Make Decisions that
Stick
6. Letter to the Editor:
Helping Your Leaders
Make Decisions that
Stick
(U) On a personal level, consider this: how about making your
competition look good? Yeah, I know that next promotion will
either go to you or that other guy. Can you rise above the peer-topeer competition to unselfishly help the other guy? This is probably
a radical idea but let me tell you, people like me in leadership
positions do this and look for it in junior people as a sign of 'getting
it'. I am in the business of evaluating and judging people - trying to
figure out their potential. When I see the signs of excellence
displayed in a dedication to someone else's success I really take
note. In the end you must strive for significance instead of just
success . Your pay grade may indicate success, but the people
you have helped along the way measure significance. Are you a
significant person? Let me know.
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without the consent of S0121 (DL sid comms)."
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