I once heard a leader of a group of large factories say that he was frustrated talking to the “low level” workers because all they considered was “minutia” or to him: meaningless details. This man was not a “dominant servant” and his “low level” workers were not wrong to deal with “minutia.” If this leader’s factory was a vehicle he was entrusted to steer then the “low level” workers are responsible to make that steering possible.
These workers are responsible for tire pressure so that there is accurate steering and not early wearing out of the tread, they are responsible for monitoring tread depth so the leader can stop in the rain, they are responsible for tight bolts that hold the wheel to the car, and responsible for brake pads which wear out much earlier than the leader thinks they do.
This opposite of the Dominant Leader despises “low level” workers because they don’t think like he does. And THANK GOD THEY DON’T. They are concerned with details critical to the success of the vehicle, which all together make the vehicle able to function at all. This “leader” is annoyed by details, all this leader understands is steering the vehicle.
“Low level” workers are not low at all. They are critical thinkers in the area of their responsibility and expertise. Their knowledge is different but just as valuable as the “leader’s” knowledge. And if the leader doesn’t believe they are as valuable as the leader, it is the leader’s responsibility to listen to, cultivate, encourage, and develop each and every worker until they are just as valuable as the leader.
The father of modern acting Constantin Stanislavski said, “Remember: there are no small parts, only small actors.”
And I would add, there are no low level workers with low level jobs, there are only small Leaders.
Constantin Stanislavski Quotes. (n.d.). BrainyQuote.com. Retrieved March 18, 2024, from BrainyQuote.com Web site: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/constantin_stanislavski_155177