The Dragon Reborn - Chapter 9 [#100Days, Day 81]

Willing to Make Tough Choices

    "If I can keep you whole, I will.  I promise you that, Perrin.  But I will not endanger the struggle against the Shadow.  You must know that too."
    When he turned to look at her, she was regarding him unblinkingly.  And if your struggle means putting me in my grave tomorrow, will you do that, too?  He was icily sure that she would.
    Moiraine and Perrin, The Dragon Reborn, p. 86

    Part of Moraine's nature as a leader is a complete willingness to make the tough choice; up to and including her life and the lives of those around her.  Her complete comittment to the cause nearly rushes through admirable into the realm of terrifying.  However, as leaders, we must all be prepared to make tough decisions; usually along the similar theme of organizational interest over the individual.  Removing someone from the team is never pleasant, but sometimes necessary.  It's (generally) a permanent decision, with that individual's removal, so to goes all their contribution and effort.  However, if the cause more headaches than they remove, then perhaps it's more desirable to find someplace where their talents can flourish.  Rarely are people malicious; that's a fairly easy decision - removal.  Everyone has skills, but there are times when those skills don't match the needs of the team or organization.  And those folks tend to know, in some way, that they're not the best fit for the job at the moment.  It may not be glaringly obvious to them, but the observant leader can pick up on the small details on the nature of their interactions with other team members, particularly stakeholders.  Frustration is contagious, so the need to act decisively is paramount.  Often, it's better to play a man down, than to try and press forward with a disrupted full complement.  It's a strain on the rest of the team, as the burdens have to shift to accomodate (read as general workload increase) - nothing is ever easy.