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WHO'S IN CHARGE HERE? ? ?

  Since my last article I have been questioned as to how deep my convictions are and the extent of my resolve. I have said before that you can’t have a concept without a philosophy. My philosophy is well documented in my articles and obvious in my behavior. I must lead as I believe. This isn’t always that easy because at times, I must take a position that cost me a student, an instructor, or a relationship. What is easy, is not having to question my motives or decisions as to why. I know what I believe and I know why I made the decision. That's not to say that I am always right. I have made some bone head decisions, but they were mine and I claimed ownership. I just can’t deal with the type of person that has to take a poll, or check to see which way the wind is blowing, before making a decision. The so called leader, who continually swaps progress for harmony is the one who puts their own popularity ahead of their people's performance. I saw some of that in the military and they are the ones who usually wound up getting people killed. In business I replaced executives of three separate companies who had nearly bankrupt their organization. Mainly because they had lost the ability to make the tough, unpopular, decisions. I turned those three into multi million dollar companies by doing just the opposite. The employee’s initially hated me, but came to trust me, and that is all I cared about. I used one of the most important ingredients for success; "the same rules and standards for all". . Break them and your butt is gone. Did it make things hard on me at times. . Yes very! There was often feelings of isolation and loneliness on my part. I’ve spent a lot of days around employees who either wished I wasn’t there or that I was dead. How do you cope with that? By knowing what you truly believe, being true to your code, and to yourself. I also have never asked anyone to work harder than me. I believe setting an example or leading by example is superior to "style over substance". I also have a thing about communicating face to face. I want everyone to know where they stand all the time. If it’s right you’re going to know it. If it’s wrong you’re going to know it. When I have a talk about conduct or attitude with someone, I tell them in a hurry that this is not a conversation; it is an a--chewing. I never have any problems with people getting bent about what I’m supposed to have said behind their back. I make a habit of telling someone to their face what I think. That doesn’t make me a hero, but that is how I do business and it’s the only way I can. The upside is people usually don’t wonder what I think of them or if I’ve said anything about them because they’ve heard it "here" first. What does all this have to do with teaching karate? Everything! ! ! ! It is a management style that establishes a organizational culture. All my black belts know how that culture works and how it doesn’t work. Their responsibility is to operate within its framework and make sure everyone else does. All this structure, and discipline flies in the face of the passive management style. I’ve seen that style and it builds nothing. It can only sustain at best. It lacks energy, direction, purpose, and leaves everyone to seek their own level. If a person is just as well off with or with out you, what kind of leader are you. I know sensei’s that in twenty-five years have had but two or three students of note. They have their own "mediocrity mill going". On the other hand; the ones who continually challenge their students to greater heights by holding them accountable for their training and conduct, establish a tradition of prominent students. These students are able to flourish not because of their God given physical abilities, but because they had someone tap into their imagination. As a sensei I have to provide order; I have to provide focus; I have to provide the merits of a singular yet unified mission. I have never understood why some sensei’s insist on the uniformity of a kata and miss all the rest of it. They will work class after class, making sure everybody’s feet are right and overlook the true natural order of things. . . "Attitude uniformity". You may as well say, "stove give me the heat and then I’ll throw in the fuel". A word of caution: When you go before your students and say what you believe, who you are, and what your philosophy is, you’d better be living it hard every day. If you are going to see them only once or give a seminar, you can pull off any image you want. But, if you are going to form an ongoing relationship you’d better be what you say. I want people to do things for me that they wouldn’t do for themselves. I don’t know how else to justify myself as a leader. I don’t know how else you make a difference. If you can’t get in their heads and heart at the same time you can’t do it. To do that you take risks and you take hits. You get unjust criticism and unjust praise. If you can’t learn not to dwell on either, then stay in your safe place and be a buddy. That's just what the world needs. . More buddies. The mental separatism that it takes to lead can be learned behavior. All you have to do is ask yourself what is the right thing to do and do it. Ask yourself if you prefer to lead from a position of strength or popularity. Vince Lombardi said, "I would will rather to have your respect than your affection.” If you make decisions only by committee or by degree of difficulty you won’t ever get it. I have many points of order that keep me honest with myself. If I have any situation that keeps me from easily laying my head down on the pillow at night, I fix it or eliminate it. One company I ran had some carryover managers from the past people I replaced. I gave these people a chance to conform, but they chose to want new pay for old attitudes. Worse yet, because they were veteran people, they influenced other, younger managers. For six months I tried everything to bring everyone together. I held a meeting with sixteen managers present. During the open portion of the meeting, a manager half kidding said, "maybe you should fire us all and start over". I stood there for a minute and then thanked him for the only good advise I had received in six months. I fired fourteen of them on the spot. I had no ideas who I would replace them with as our company was spread over four states. I had to contact people, promote people, transfer people, arrange moving and transportation and explain myself away to the owners. Thing is I stopped worrying about a bunch of losers and put my energy and focus on improvement. I ran on optimistic adrenalin that whole month. That was March. In April we had a record month for the company. It only reinforced my belief in the dangerous habit of counter punching. Don’t get back on your heels and be a reaction to everyone and everything. Go on the attack. General Patton’s said, "A good plan violently executed now, is better than a perfect plan next week.” And so goes my philosophy on running a dojo. Stand up for who you are, speak out for what you believe and get your butt out on that mat with your students, where it can be applied. There's one thing for sure. We may all leave the dojo after class wondering about a lot of things. But, . . . one of them won't be "WHO'S IN CHARGE HERE"! !

      Denny Shaffer, Ku-Dan