mikelally.net

I learned something today. About myself and how I act in a certain situation.

I am in a Leadership training class/group through work. There are 6 of us in the group. We meet every other week for an all-day session. Last week, the group nominated me as “Top Gun” – leader of the week. There was and is a hat involved.

A Top Gun hat.

From 1986.

I offered to return the hat at the end of class.

And I understand now that this was not very gracious of me.

Offering to return the hat was dismissive of the nomination. Not to mention rude. Oh my god, I just heard my mother’s voice. But don’t get me wrong – I was HONORED to get the nomination. That sort of thing motivates the hell out of me.

I need to work on handling it better. I need to be more like Meryl Streep. She’s won a go-zillion awards. Each time she turns it around on the people with whom she is working. When I won, I did thank the group. I am not a TOTAL neanderthal. But I could not have been leader of the day unless they worked with me to allow that to happen.

So – I have to thank the group for being a great team. I AM truly honored that they nominated me. I am glad I could help in such a way.

It also didn’t honor the facilitator at all. She made reference to a mentor who had inspired her to use the hat as a token. Again, I need to not be such a jerk. Because if I had been the one giving out a token representing one of MY mentors and a mindless idiot dismissed it – I would have had a heart attack.

I am learning.

Every day.