Leadership - After the Vote
| Category: | Leadership |
|---|---|
| Notes: | Deliver immediately after a leadership election, when emotions are fresh for both winners and losers. Speak to the whole troop, not just the winner. |
The votes have been counted. Someone won, and someone didn't. For a minute I want to talk to both of you - and to the rest of the troop, because you're part of this too.
To the Scout who was elected: this is not a prize. I know it might feel like one - and you should feel good that your peers chose you. But what they chose you for is work. Hard, sometimes unglamorous, sometimes thankless work. Leading a patrol means thinking about others first, making decisions people disagree with, and taking responsibility when things go wrong. If you go into this focused on what you get, you'll struggle. Go into it thinking about what you can build, and you'll find it rewarding in ways you didn't expect.
To the Scout who wasn't elected: this was not a verdict on your worth. People vote for all kinds of reasons, and some of them have nothing to do with who's more capable. The best leaders I know have lost elections they should have won. What they did next is what defined them. You have two choices: pull back and let the result be the story, or stay fully engaged and let your actions over the next few months tell a different one. One of those choices will serve you. The other one won't.
To the troop: you just chose a leader. Now help him succeed. That's your job too.