This is the first of a 3-part series on Leadership.
I work at a medium sized datacenter in Madison, WI. My job as a Unix engineer is to act as queue lead for iSeries (AS/400) based systems and babysit Unix-based servers. As I've worked my way up at CDW I have noticed one thing that is very clear; with great power comes great responsibility. The higher you go, the more is expected of you as far as time and concentration on work. Overall, I believe this is healthy because it is like sharpening a pencil; the sharper it is, the cleaner and more effective the work is. It's also given me an interesting perspective on leadership.
Leadership is 24/7. There is no time when you are not a leader, because even when you are enjoying yourself it is time that will affect your ability to lead in the future. For example, indulge too much in recreational activities and you will suffer the consequences the next day. Engage in reckless behavior in your free time and it will haunt you in your professional time. Conversely, behave appropriately in your free time -- remaining fun of course -- and it can enhance your work time.
What does Felicia Day have in common with Level 3 Unix engineers? Both of them are "on call'. Felicia is "on call" to the needs of her web series, The Guild; and lives her brand whether living recreationally, in private, or in public. She also has become a figurehead to the entire web series industry. Felicia always has to keep in mind that she is representing her creations -- and those of others to a certain extent -- wherever and whatever she is doing which demands a high level of behavior because of a high level of scrutiny. Unix engineers on call are expected to be available to solve issues at the drop of a hat, even in the middle of the night, 24/7. Their properties they are managing are the servers of their clients who expect their servers to be up and available, you guessed it, 24/7. Not only that, they represent their company and their behavior represents the whole company.
Directly attached to this responsibility is an ability to relax, have fun, and remain calm. All the L3 engineers at CDW -- and the cast and the crew of the Guild, also have this in common. Jokes fly around the office space -- of varying quality, among the Unix team. Similarly, jokes fly around the Guild cast and crew -- of varying quality (heehee) -- and spirits are kept high.
What does all this say? Leadership has some universal traits. One of them, is remembering wherever you are, whatever you are doing, once you have decided to be a leader, you are always treated as one and always held accountable. And should you fail that mantle, in the public eye, it can always be difficult to regain it. But don't sweat it too much. If life is a game, you might as well have fun with it!
