Sunday, January 08, 2006

Why the ULA Needs a Director

IT'S INEVITABLE that there will be disagreements between radicals and moderates in an organization like ours. As I'll always be a spokesman for a radical point-of-view (the Underground Literary Alliance was founded to be a radical movement), I'm not the best person to balance opposing forces in order to keep the entire team moving forward. This will be one of the tasks of the new Director.

I've been asked, "What will be the person's authority and role?"

I expect the individual to DEFINE the role, by the quality of his-or-her work and the strength or weakness of his-or-her personality; by the person's leadership abilities, or lack thereof.

We should think of the person as the quarterback of a football team. BECAUSE we're players on the same team, standing together on the field as equals, doesn't mean we should exist in chaos, without direction. Responsibility has to be taken for moving the team, and corresponding authority given to the person. How much authority? Who knows? We remain a work-in-progress.

Until the person is chosen, by default I'm quarterbacking the team; have taken on the responsibility of moving us along-- but can have success only if members of the team find positions on the line and prepare to carry out the plays; only if they themselves take on the responsibility and authority of particular roles.

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