[June 30, 2014] As a new Platoon Leader in the U.S. Army infantry, the men were always comparing me to the previous leader. And oh, that leader did not do so very well. The comparisons were usually unflattering and frankly I was not too happy about it. It took a year before I was accepted for who I was and for my own leadership accomplishments. It is to be expected that leaders are compared to other leaders.
Therefore, being compared to other leaders is something we should not only expect but also should help manage the natural inclination of others to do this. Typically when we think of people comparisons, it is one person comparing themselves to someone else. Yet, for the leader to be compared to other leaders can be a sticky problem if it gets out of hand.
This is why it is so important for leaders to establish personal connections to people and to use their social skills effectively. When the tendency to make comparisons occurs, the comparison the, is more likely to be positive.
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