Re: Topic For Paper?

"Arved Sandstrom" <asandstrom@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

:The reason you get dinged for acts that your subordinates perpetrate is that
:you ought to have been aware that this subordinate was a protoplasm with no
:capability for independent thought, and you should have either shot him or
:reduced him in grade to stoker. Since you didn't, you had bad judgment. This
:actually does work both ways, which is why the higher ups get credit for
:what their subbies do - not entirely unfair.

Not unfair at all. The basic premises of leadership in the forces
belonging to the Department of the Navy (yes, I wanted to include the
Marines in there) are: A

1) Authority and responsibility are irrevocably coupled.

1a) Authority without responsibility is evil because it is
unconstrained.

1b) Responsibility without authority is pointless.

2) You can delegate authority but you can NEVER delegate
responsibility. YOU can hold the person you delegate the authority to
responsible, but the ultimate responsibility is still yours.

3) You are responsible for assuring the competence of anyone you
delegate authority to.

This is why it all works the way it does. When it goes swimmingly,
the responsibility is yours and you get the gong (based on 1)). You
should try to 'delegate' some gongs toward the folks that you
delegated authority for execution to (based on 2)) who excelled. When
it goes to ***, you get the dirty end of the stick (based on 3)). If
someone screwed up that you delegated authority for execution to, YOU
are responsible for their screw up because you are responsible for
assuring the competence of the people you delegate to.

It only SEEMS unfair to those who haven't lived by the system. It's
why the officers get the pretty uniforms and the big bucks; they're
RESPONSIBLE, even when it's outside their control.

--
"The way of the samurai is found in death. If by setting one's heart
right every morning and evening, one is able to live as though his
body were already dead, he gains freedom in The Way. His whole life
will be without blame, and he will succeed in his calling."
-- "Hagakure Kikigaki", Yamamoto Tsunetomo
.

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