Leadership or Management in Scouting

[Mrjeff]

I'm a retired military guy too.  In the military, or any other beurocracy, there is a clear and defined hierarchy.   Unless you're at the top of the heap, you have to do what you're told to do weather or not you agree or want to do it.  If you don't you are subject to loose your position, money, or in some cases, your freedom.   So you work hard and do what you're told so that you can move up, tell other people what to do and have fewer people telling you what to do.  And, the higher you climb the less you have to worry about loosing your money or freedom.  In Scouting many people like to climb up a precieved hierarchy which really doesn't exist.  Then they think that they get to tell other people what to do and expect them to toddle of and do it.  This usually doesn't work out because no matter how high you climb, the "underlings" can tell you to kick rocks and there is nothing you can do about it.  So, the real challenge is to get folks what you want them to do by convincing them that they want to do it.  This is why what works in the professional world does not work as well in Scouting.  It takes an entirely different skill set to be a successful scouter then it takes to be successful in business.  Leadership isn't the same as being in command or being a boss and I think that the BSA would be better if they quit looking at leaders of industry to head up boards, committees, or other important sounding stuff and look toward the folks who do this " for fun".