Glory? Good or Bad?

There are a lot of things that bother me when I approach an organization in an engagement ; first and foremost is an organizations understanding of "glory" or what it should be doing.

I think there are 2 kinds of "Glory"…. Good and Bad.

As I have often being accused of being negative let's start off with the BAD…

In the pursuit of glory, individuals often begin to think of it as their own and this is not an optimum situation . People tend to tunnel vision their careers to their own narrative. It is this "Their Own" concept that makes the pursuit of glory negative.

How so? When we are hired by an organization we are hired to perform for them not for ourselves. Their goals as dictated by management, their direction, If we are lucky we get to influence that direction but ultimately it is still theirs. This "Own" concept some individuals build up in their minds works in contradiction to the we are here to make real the organizations wishes dichotomy. It is this break in perspectives that causes inter-organizational strife. Groups of individuals begin to push their own agendas over the needs and concerns of the overall business organization. In the end this kind of glory seeking attention yields chaos and frustration.

Well it sounds as though glory in any sense of the word is bad? How can it be a good thing?

It’s a matter of perspective. What is "Glory" ? If "Glory" is simply self gratification of individual aspirations then that is small and petty and frankly pathetic. If the concept of "Glory" centers around the betterment and sustainability of the greater good in this case an organization's well being and not any one individuals' then it’s a concept that should be lauded and encouraged. The concept of the well being of the whole vs. the needs of the one and achieving excellence and thereby attaining "Glory" should be what everyone working for an organization that we don't own or control should aspire to. Do not take me for someone who doesn't seek the adulation of his peers, because I do, but I am not one to sacrifice the well-being of an organization for a personal win.

Entrepreneurs, business owners, they get the lions share of glory because they put up the risk. The peons (us employee, contractor types) we get to help and if we are good at it they recognize us for our efforts. The act of posturing and grabbing for power is unprofessional and counter productive to the "Long Game". It's not about you its about what you bring to the table and how it keeps food there, not how "shiny" you can make yourself with shadow games and political ploys.

The clip is from the movie 300. Its important to remember that the Spartans (at least theatrically) were striving to be an example to the rest of Greece to stop their petty squabbles and individual bids for power and unite for a greater good. To stand for freedom blah blah blah... I leave you to draw your own conclusions.

- Optimal Optimus