Clan Leadership - Chapter II (Finding Your Officers)
As a clan grows, it becomes more and more difficult for a single person to lead effectively; you need officers. A clan leader, no matter how active, can only do so much. Eventually you will need officers to serve under your command. Selecting your officers is one of the most important decisions you will make as a clan leader. To help you evaluate potential officers, I will lay forth the standards I use for this process. As always, there is more to analyze about a person than the criteria I lay out here, and the needs of the role they fill will vary, but I feel that what I lay out here is a good starting point.
First, you need to understand why officers are so important. In real life, U.S. officers (and most other nations) are different from enlisted personnel (non-commissioned officers) in one critical way; they are commissioned by the President (or prime minister etc.) This means they carry far more responsibility than then non enlisted counterparts.
Without getting into the technicalities of there position, a few basic ideas are central to their role.
- They speak and act on behalf of their commander (In this case, the clan leader).
- They are accountable, and ultimately responsible for the actions of their subordinates.
This is what makes selecting officers such an important decision. When you select your officers, you are effectively choosing a person to carry, and use your authority on your behalf. They will be your eyes and ears, but most importantly, they will be your mouth and hands. Clan officers are effectively smaller clan leaders.
I will now list basic criteria for selecting clan officers. Again, does not cover every aspect of a person, but they are critical areas to being a officer. Some of the areas are the same as the criteria I listed in Chapter 1, but there are critical additions that needed to serve as an officer.
1. Problem Solving
This is a must. Being an officer is to be a problem solver. There is a reason why, in real life, officers are required to have 4-year college degrees. It shows they can think for themselves. Anyone can be a messenger. That doesn't need an officer.
As a clan leader, you should be able to say "I want you win this raid" and have full faith your officer will get the job done.You shouldn't have to hold his hand and walk him through preparing his solders, scouting the map, etc. The second you start doing that you become the officer. With that said, make sure you do not assign them a task they cannot reasonably handle. Officers will make your job as clan leader easier, but that is not their objective, it is simply a byproduct. If you find yourself offloading work onto your officers because "you don't feel like doing it," you are pathetic, and shouldn't be leading a clan. Officers are there to make running a larger clan possible.
2. Loyalty
This is self explanatory, but in regards to the community a few things must be said as many people misunderstand it.
Make sure your officers are loyal to the clan, and not a person. This is exceptionally important for when there are officers subordinate to others in your clan. (Low Ranking Officer <-- High Ranking Officer <-- Clan Leader)
If a officer is loyal to a person, and not the clan, you risk the chance of mutiny. This is exceptionally common in mergers, or when a group of friends are in a clan together.
For example, let us assume that the LRO is friends with the HRO prior to joining the clan, and followed him into the clan. It is safe to assume the LRO is likely more loyal to the HRO than the clan itself, or the CL. If the HRO and CL have a dispute, and the HRL leaves, chances are the LRO will follow him. Having officers more loyal to individuals than the clan can make a small problem much bigger.
3. Maturity
If you need me to explain this to you...
4. Understand the Meaning of "No"
Unbelievably critical. This ties back into problem solving. When an officers makes his plan of action, the clan leader, or officer above him may not approve of this. As a clan leader, you need to ensure that when you tell your officer "no" to a request or question, they follow that order and act accordingly. Beyond this, you need to have officers that, upon hearing "no" don't take it as a personal offense, and continue with the mission.
As a clan leader, you play a major part in this exchange. Before telling your officer "no," make sure your genuinely hear them out. Maybe you misunderstood what they wanted to do, and upon them elaborating, you agree with them. Even if you don't agree, it still shows that you value their opinion, and are willing to listen to their views.
Secondly, if you tell them "no," tell them why. If you provide a reason why you don't agree with them, you show that you did listen to what they said. By telling them why, you can show them the errors in their logic, and help them make better choices in the future. With that said, make sure you don't allow the officer in question to turn these situations into arguments. You are above them, make sure they know that.
5. Eating Foods You Hate
This plays in with #4. It is important you find officers who will faithfully, and with enthusiasm, follow orders they don't agree with. If you permit your officers ignore, or half-ass orders they don't like, you're not only impacting the effectiveness of your clan, you are allowing them to believe that they don't have to listen to your orders. I think we all see what is wrong with that.
6. Time
The same basic concepts as seen in Chapter 1 apply. If you aren't online, you can't lead.
- II Power III
First, you need to understand why officers are so important. In real life, U.S. officers (and most other nations) are different from enlisted personnel (non-commissioned officers) in one critical way; they are commissioned by the President (or prime minister etc.) This means they carry far more responsibility than then non enlisted counterparts.
Without getting into the technicalities of there position, a few basic ideas are central to their role.
- They speak and act on behalf of their commander (In this case, the clan leader).
- They are accountable, and ultimately responsible for the actions of their subordinates.
This is what makes selecting officers such an important decision. When you select your officers, you are effectively choosing a person to carry, and use your authority on your behalf. They will be your eyes and ears, but most importantly, they will be your mouth and hands. Clan officers are effectively smaller clan leaders.
I will now list basic criteria for selecting clan officers. Again, does not cover every aspect of a person, but they are critical areas to being a officer. Some of the areas are the same as the criteria I listed in Chapter 1, but there are critical additions that needed to serve as an officer.
1. Problem Solving
This is a must. Being an officer is to be a problem solver. There is a reason why, in real life, officers are required to have 4-year college degrees. It shows they can think for themselves. Anyone can be a messenger. That doesn't need an officer.
As a clan leader, you should be able to say "I want you win this raid" and have full faith your officer will get the job done.You shouldn't have to hold his hand and walk him through preparing his solders, scouting the map, etc. The second you start doing that you become the officer. With that said, make sure you do not assign them a task they cannot reasonably handle. Officers will make your job as clan leader easier, but that is not their objective, it is simply a byproduct. If you find yourself offloading work onto your officers because "you don't feel like doing it," you are pathetic, and shouldn't be leading a clan. Officers are there to make running a larger clan possible.
2. Loyalty
This is self explanatory, but in regards to the community a few things must be said as many people misunderstand it.
Make sure your officers are loyal to the clan, and not a person. This is exceptionally important for when there are officers subordinate to others in your clan. (Low Ranking Officer <-- High Ranking Officer <-- Clan Leader)
If a officer is loyal to a person, and not the clan, you risk the chance of mutiny. This is exceptionally common in mergers, or when a group of friends are in a clan together.
For example, let us assume that the LRO is friends with the HRO prior to joining the clan, and followed him into the clan. It is safe to assume the LRO is likely more loyal to the HRO than the clan itself, or the CL. If the HRO and CL have a dispute, and the HRL leaves, chances are the LRO will follow him. Having officers more loyal to individuals than the clan can make a small problem much bigger.
3. Maturity
If you need me to explain this to you...
4. Understand the Meaning of "No"
Unbelievably critical. This ties back into problem solving. When an officers makes his plan of action, the clan leader, or officer above him may not approve of this. As a clan leader, you need to ensure that when you tell your officer "no" to a request or question, they follow that order and act accordingly. Beyond this, you need to have officers that, upon hearing "no" don't take it as a personal offense, and continue with the mission.
As a clan leader, you play a major part in this exchange. Before telling your officer "no," make sure your genuinely hear them out. Maybe you misunderstood what they wanted to do, and upon them elaborating, you agree with them. Even if you don't agree, it still shows that you value their opinion, and are willing to listen to their views.
Secondly, if you tell them "no," tell them why. If you provide a reason why you don't agree with them, you show that you did listen to what they said. By telling them why, you can show them the errors in their logic, and help them make better choices in the future. With that said, make sure you don't allow the officer in question to turn these situations into arguments. You are above them, make sure they know that.
5. Eating Foods You Hate
This plays in with #4. It is important you find officers who will faithfully, and with enthusiasm, follow orders they don't agree with. If you permit your officers ignore, or half-ass orders they don't like, you're not only impacting the effectiveness of your clan, you are allowing them to believe that they don't have to listen to your orders. I think we all see what is wrong with that.
6. Time
The same basic concepts as seen in Chapter 1 apply. If you aren't online, you can't lead.
- II Power III