Bottom--Feeder Leadership Rules

The Rules of Bottom-Feeder Leadership

I am proud to be the last working school administrator with a direct connection to the original bottom-feeder school administrator club.   The following are the rules I learned from being mentored and mentoring a group of principle-centered leaders who do what is right.  Not all leaders receive the honor of being a bottom-feeder.   You must be vouched for, mentored by a current member, and earn trust.  Bottom-feeder leaders accept the consequences for their actions and differ the credit for success to their team. The rules committee meets annually to adjust, delete, or add to the list.    Potential bottom-feeders are called grasshoppers.   Vouched for members earn a nickname.   In keeping with tradition,  no one is allowed to choose their own nickname.   

Rule 1              Put your family first.  Enable others to put their families first.

Rule 2:            Go home at the end of the day.   Home is the sanctuary you earn by fighting the good fight.  Protect the sanctuary.

Rule 3:            You are going to be dammed.  So be dammed for doing what is right.

Rule 4:            Always answer the question:  “Is this right for kids?” 

Rule 5:            Trust is earned.  Trust is a commodity.

Rule 6:            Do more favors than you receive.   You never know when you will need to call in a favor so it is best to have them in the bank.  Pay back favors as soon as possible.

Rule 7            Friends are the people who stand by you when your back is against the wall. Choose them well.

Rule 8:            Every one has two agendas.  The one they tell you and the one they hide.

Rule 9:            Always know what the people you work with our thinking.  Guard what you think.

Rule 10:            Every job has crap.   The crap is the tax for doing a job you enjoy.

Rule 11:            Your job is to stand up and protect the ones with whom you work.  Never step aside and allow someone to take a direct shot unless they have dogged you.

Rule 12:            The bear will always win.  The organization will always protect itself.  You will be sacrificed if it is in the best interest of the organization.  The organization always wins.

Rule 13:              Omar Visquel is the best short stop ever to play the game because he worked harder than any other shortstop to ever play the game.

Rule 14:            Arrogance will be your downfall just ask Pete Rose

Rule 15:            Always provide a solution to a problem you are sharing with your boss.  You get paid to find solutions to problems.

Rule 16:            Pick up the phone and call someone when you are dancing with an issue.  Working in isolation leads to disaster.

Rule 17:            There are two kinds of leaders.  Those who do what is politically right.  Those who use politics to do what is right.

Rule 18:            A leaders job is to build the capacity of others.  Embrace collaborative leadership.  Empower others to be decision makers.  Build next generation of leaders.

Rule 19:            Hire the right people.  This is the most important job.  Get rid of dead dogs.

Rule 20:            Know how to shuck.  Take people in the opposite direction you want them to go.  When they resist use their resistance to pull them in the direction you want them to go.

Rule 21:            Set and vision and stay the course.   Most success comes after a battle of resistance.  

Rule 22:            Know what hills are worth dying on.

Rule 23:            Live to fight another day.

Rule 24            Never trust the person who says, “What is your policy?”   It’s a set up.

Rule 25:            Fight the fights worth fighting.   Even if you loose people know they can’t run you over.  Cowards fight the fights they can win.  Fighters fight the good fight win or loose.

Rule 26:            People must pay if they make decisions that impact you and you were not included in the process.  

Rule 27:            Snakes!  Snakes! Snakes!   Every organization is infested with snakes.  Just know who they are.  Use their slithering ways to your advantage. 

Rule 28:            Never let your boss be surprised.   Always let the boss know if you are dealing with an issue that may make his/her plate.   Always be the first to share bad news with the boss.  Never allow others to surprise you.

Rule 29:            Problems are like alligators.  Easy to take care of when they are small.   Extremely difficult when they are 8 feet long.   Never let a problem become an eight-foot alligator.

Rule 30:            Never throw the first punch.  Be a counter puncher.

Rule 31:            Don’t enter into an email or phone debate.  Get them in your office and meet face to face to solve problems.

Rule 32            Never dog your boss in public.  If you have an issue, meet privately in the office to air your concerns.

Rule 34:            When in doubt, do what is right.   At least you can look yourself in the mirror. 

Rule 35:            A leaders job is to make the stupid decisions of others work.

Rule 36:            If you are going to be poked in the eye, poke yourself.   Bring your improvement plan to the boss don’t wait for your boss to bring the plan to you.

Rule 37:            Just because someone is stepping off the curb doesn’t mean you need to tell them the bus is coming.  People listen better after the bus hits them.

Rule 38:            Stay below the treetops.  You start self-promoting making yourself visible you will draw fire.   Success breeds snipers.  Stay below the treetops keeping the focus on doing what is right.

Rule 38:            Never miss an event your own kids are participating in.  Sometimes it can’t be helped, but most of the time it can.  You don’t want your own children saying, my dad/mom loved the kids at school more than me.

Rule 39:            Be an advocate for square pegs in round holes.  These are the kids that need a principal as their friend.

Rule 40:            Don’t name names.   Code of neighborhood.   If you are going to report someone,  you tell them.   Anonymous has no honor.

Rule 41:            Be visible.  Be seen.  Be out and about. Lead by walking around.

Rule 42:            Have fun.   If you are not having fun, you are taking yourself to seriously.

Rule 43:            Every decision we make needs be decided on how does it impacts success.

Rule 44:            You work for the boss.  You live with your fellow administrators.   Be a good colleague. 

Rule 45:            Never drink where you work.  People are always watching you.   No matter where you are someone sees you and knows you’re a principal.   Be yourself, but be smart about it.

Rule 46:            Change is like the tide.  You flow in and erode away resistance.   You flow out letting the sediment settle.   You flow back in claiming new ground.   Tide brings about change gradually and consistently. 

Rule 47:          Never bring a knife to a gunfight.  Be overly prepared to battle.  Think out multiple options.   Think three steps ahead of your opposition. 

Rule 48:          "And we engage when we agree and we engage when we disagree.  It's very important to do that because you don't change things by just yelling. You change things by showing everyone why your way is the best. In many ways, it's a debate of ideas." - Tim Cook, Apple CEO.