Blue Topping

As an inaugural post, I feel the need to explain a few things. This is my blog on leadership. The study of leadership has long been a hobby of mine. Some of my interest stems from having worked for many years under good and bad leaders, and wanting to understand what I'm dealing with. Partly it's because I'd like to be an effective leader during those times I'm in a position to lead. A major part of my interest comes from that I've been engaged in teaching young men leadership through Boy Scouting for 25 years.
My interest really began as a young teenager. I was asked to serve as a president of a youth group in my Church. I took that very seriously, and began a lifelong interest in the topic. Since then, I served in the military, where I attended a number of leadership schools and academies. While in the USAF, Total Quality Management was a huge fad, and the USAF purchased and implemented a number of "systems," each with their own terminology, forms, and training. It seemed like they must have had two year contracts, because we trained in a new system every two years. Professionally, I've been through a number of courses, and of course, in the engineering and technology fields where I practice, project management and leadership is very important.
The deepest impact training on leadership has been with Scouting, believe it or not. In 1998, after 15 years as a leader, I attended the Woodbadge course. Woodbadge is an advanced leadership training where you study eleven leadership principles. That study included experiential opportunities to put those principles in action. At the end of the training, we were left with a "ticket" to complete. The ticket was essential nine major projects to undertake over two years. These projects were targeted to personal growth, growth in your specific assignments, and growth in your involvement in the community. This ticket helped cement this training to far beyond the week of direct training.
So, where does blue topping come from? Professionally, I have worked in the world of engineering (mostly civil) and geospatial systems (computerized mapping and analysis). While in the USAF, I spent a lot of time surveying. One of the techniques we used included placing specially marked stakes, called blue tops. Blue tops are 2X2 hub stakes with blue chalk at the top. They are set at a depth where their top was at the grade, or elevation, you desired for the finished grading. The grader would then set his blade to the height of the stake. In essence, the blue top set the standard for the grader to work from.
As the blue top provides the standard or example, my belief in leadership follows the same principle. Effective leadership requires the leader to set the example; to establish the grade for his or her followers.
In no case does this mean I have reached perfection. Far from it. This is a journey, not a destination. But my hope is that as I travel the road, I will share my experiences, and we can travel together.