Sharing with you guys something a friend forwarded to me in the mail today:

“As for the best leaders, the people do not notice their existence. The next best, the people honor and praise. The next, the people fear; and the next, the people hate… When the best leader’s work is done, the people will say, ‘We did it ourselves!'” — Lao-Tze saying

As a leader of a 1,200-member organization, churning out 3 to 5 activities monthly, I’ve always been conscious on how I’ve been managing. These past few months has been quite rough, especially this month as we have a big-ass project on the way.

I must admit, I’m not perfect.

I’m sure there are some people who are unhappy with how I manage things. It hurt me a little when there were some people said that I was not very easy to work and get along with.

And yes, I’ve had my fair share of people complaints, discouragement and backstabbing. 🙁

It’s enough to drive anybody up to the wall!

Just a couple of weekends ago, I’ve had enough. I was overwhelmed with everybody’s negativity and complaints. I’ve been doing a lot, and yet, it seems that I’m doing nothing (according to these people’s standards).

Good thing is, despite falling slightly, I’ve managed to put myself back up again.

To my detractors, here’s what I can say…

I’m just doing my job. And doing it to the best of my ability.

Managing an organization, its events and its people is NOT a walk in a park. If you don’t believe me, how about giving it a try? There are a lot of tiny details that you’ll never see, and I’d have to take care of. Please do not judge me until you’ve walked in my shoes.

But I’m not complaining.

Why?

Because I’ve made a commitment months ago and I’m no quitter.

I will follow through my promise to the best of my ability, and if you’re unhappy with that, well, that’s okay. I know I cannot please everybody.

I know that facts — the fact is, many a life has changed for the better because of the organization I’m in right now. Without it, they’ll be stuck at home during the weekends during nothing.

Instead, they now have the chance to socialize with like-minded people with similar interests in a casual, relaxing setting…

They get the chance to travel around Taiwan and make new friends…

They get to try new things (e.g., indoor wallclimbing, career nights, bicycling at Bali, among others) they would otherwise wouldn’t get to try on their own…

Yes, I know there are some who are unhappy. And yet, I am very much encouraged by those who are very satisfied and tell me that the organization had really made a difference to their lives.

These are the people that I serve. 🙂

And I’m more than happy to do it.

At the end of the day, despite the stress, exhaustion and hassle I go through, I am still doing something that I love and satisfies me. And it’s worth it.

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These past few weeks had taught me a lot of lessons.

An important one is that there are things that we can change — and there are things we cannot change.

What’s important is finding out the difference between the two and reacting appropriately.

These past few weeks, I’ve been frustrated with one of my officers in the organization. A terrific guy who’s always on the go, he’s someone I consider my second-in-command — one of the vital lifebloods of the organization.

However, during the past few weeks, he’s been encountering a lot of stress and pressure from work, his personal life and the many projects he’s been implementing. Unfortunately, because of everything’s that’s been going on, he’s already burnt out.

The problem is, he’s the head for this big-ass event we’ve been organizing. To give you a hint, we’re organizing a Holiday Gala at the Sheraton late this month. The ballroom’s stunning and we’re offering an eat-all-you-can turkey dinner and a free night of dancing!

As he’s the head, we cannot afford that he’d be missing in action. But he has! He’s been hiding in his cave for the past couple of days and it’s been very frustrating. 🙁

But this is something I have to deal with. Hopefully, it’ll all work out in the end. My friend says we have to be careful how to handle him, but I’m willing to play hardball if necessary.

Right now, I don’t care about being liked or seen as nice. We have work to do, and we must finish this. I’ll be reasonable of course, but now’s not the time to be sympathetic.

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Of course, in leadership, I’ve always tried to evaluate myself objectively and regularly. One cannot see one’s mistakes so I always ask people who work close with me and know me if I’m doing a good job or not.

You always have to get a second opinion. ;-P

So far, the feedback I get is good.

I believe we have a good momentum. Our membership has increased significantly and we’ve been implementing more worthwhile projects during the past week. People are getting excited on what we’ve been doing.

Sometimes, especially in my darkest days, I ask myself, “Why am I crazy enough to accept such responsibility?! I’m only 25 years old! Not a lot of people my age do what I do.”

Note that the average member age in my organization is from 28 years to 35 years old.

But the answer is simple — Because I love it.

I lead a 450-member organization in the Philippines and loved every moment of it. There’s just something about making something big out of nothing that makes things worthwhile.

So I won’t complain.

Instead, I’ll just do the best I can, and hope for the best.

Am I a good leader or not?

I don’t know…

I’m not sure.

Some will say yes…

others will say no…

But one thing’s for sure — at least I try my damn best to be one.

Live life!