Lesson 7 half- Overall reflection on support team

My previous journal on the journey of LPM:

http://nowherejourney.blogspot.sg/

Well, the blog site is not no where journey.  It stands for now here journey.

I find that a lot of us, me included always live in the past or in the future:
Last time, I was richer, younger, prettier holding a higher position etc....or
Next time, I will be better, richer, smarter not so stupid. etc....

Enough of that, we have to be in the present, living life to the fullest. The past 7 lessons on LPM had taught me, and got me reflecting on a leader's role.  He/she must be firmly on the ground, close to the team members, always in the present with the team.

True leaders hold the vision, strategize plans, motivate and develop more leaders.  Holding the vision is not living in the future; the vision is the goal, upon which we strategize and along the way, evaluate, revise and re-strategize objectives and goals.

In the first lesson we have touched on the difference between leaders and managers, one of the point is that a leader inspires and a manager controls.
This morning at work, the above point hit me in the face.  My present boss gave me a long list of tasks to do; daily, weekly, bi-weekly and monthly.  When I told my friend who asked me to take on this present job, she told me she does that to her subordinates too.  And she called it timetable.  OMG!!! What a micro-manager she is! (She is a head of department in an educational institute).
In my last job, as a project lead in charge of 3 call centres teams, I gave the agents: code of conduct, their responsibilities, the client's expectations and the client's house rules.  Periodically I will go over their work to check for any discrepancies.  If found, I will ask them to correct the mistake.  On the other hand, I will ask for feedback from client.  Good points, I will praise them and the areas to improve on, I will inform them.

This course has really been beneficial to me, even though it's just an advanced certificate course.  I'd rather have this than a Degree in Micro-Managing!