All The World’s A Stage

And all the men and women merely players;
They have their exits and their entrances;

– William Shakespeare, As You Like It

When it’s time to put on a show, what kind of leader do you want?

David Brooks plays the Cowboy’s song:

In the journal In Character, the Washington Post theater critic Peter J. Marks has an essay on the ethos of the stagehands who work behind the scenes. Being out when the applause is ringing doesn’t feel important to them. The important things are the communal work, the contribution to the whole production and the esprit de corps. The humble hound is a stagehand who happens to give more public presentations than most.

The Cowboy spent many years as a stagehand, and he does like to give public presentations.  He started as an apprentice, joined a union, toured, led crews, and stage-managed.  But mostly he was just a stagehand surrounded by good teachers: Robin, Mike, Paul, Bob, Nacho and many others.

As for the Cowboy’s leadership style, well, it’s hard to call oneself humble.  If you are, you can’t very well brag about it.  Plus, the Cowboy is not immune to the attractions of transformational change when putting on a show.

Still, there is something quite cool about not getting the applause, standing in the wings, and offering a hopeful merd or a praiseful brava.

So.  Humble Hound?  Boardroom Lion?

How about Plauditory Poodle.

Places everyone!  C’mon, get happy!