People will always tell you to ‘be yourself’
Every boy knows Sun-Tzu said know your enemy, know your self and you cannot lose.
Sinatra would say, I faced them all and I stood tall – I did it my way.
but how many people know their self at all?
This week I got a new job, today I gave my boss notice.
I’m not sure how to articulate this – at my old job I’ve always felt I was being pressured to alter my methods. I don’t really see I-to-I with my boss or supervisor. I think my way is the right one, I didn’t get the sense they agreed.
When I was interviewing for my new position I got the sense that it was my way was the reason they hired me – and offered me significant incentives to join them.
When I went to my old boss and told him about my offer I suddenly got a very different perspective. Normally they escort you out when you give them notice, especially when you go to work for a competitor. Instead my boss said he regretted that he could not match the offer but that ‘for an person of my caliber he had an open door policy’ and if it didn’t work out my job was going to be waiting. Further – I am the first person they have ever asked to stay the full length of my notice-period and he said it was only because he ‘knew I was a person of great integrity’
Here is the lesson I have drawn from this experience:
Be loyal. Keep your word. Speak the plain truth, especially when it isn’t what you think your bosses want to hear. Treat each person with respect. Make the hard decisions. Don’t try to shift blame.
Remember: anyone can be a good samarai to a good master. Only a true samarai can be serve a bad master just as well.
