A Quick Pick-Me-Up

I found this great article in the Post this morning, and it was a joy to read. A high school coach in Virginia, with winning seasons in wrestling and softball, has been extremely successful. This is not news, right? The part that is news to me, is that he's done it by being respectful and kind. The article was great, and it was a pleasure to read about this man.

On a completely opposite note, I came across an odd book in Borders recently: The No Asshole Rule: Building a Civilized Workplace, and Surviving One That Isn't. The title alone is obviously wonderful, but it was pretty helpful overall. I especially liked that it addressed the possibility that the reader is sometimes the one who is a pain (not just always the victim of other people's bad behavior).

It seems to me that when people talk about leadership, they're often talking about dominion, and I don't believe it's the same thing. It was refreshing in both of these instances to hear confirmation that respect and cooperation are more effective than ostentatious displays of power.