Leadership discussion

[garrah]

Recent events have brought to light the fact that there has been growing discontent in the guild regarding my leadership. It seems that these misgivings have been growing behind closed doors for quite a while now, but for whatever reasons, people did not feel comfortable addressing their concerns in the open. This is the absolute last thing I want to see happen - if we are to succeed as a guild, or even simply as a collection of friends, we need to be able to be honest with each other without fear of condemnation or reprisal. Concerns cannot be addressed, problems cannot be solved, if we can't bring them out into a forthright discussion.

With that in mind, I invite all of you to put your opinions forward here and now. Where have I gone wrong? Is there anything I've done well? Do you still want me in charge - or want me around at all, for that matter? If not me, who do you want to see in the top slot? Is there anything I can do, either through my presence or my absence, to rebuild and strengthen Banepaw?

Because our plans for future development rest rather heavily on this discussion, I would like to see us come to some kind of resolution as quickly as we can, while still allowing sufficient time for everyone to have their say. In light of that, we'll be holding this thread open till the end of the day on Tuesday (16 February), at which point final decisions will be made based on your input.

[grimzor]

Wow. I'm dissapointed that nobody has posted yet, and weighed in. Especialy in light of how much everyone had to say prior to this. Although I've already weighed in directly on the subject, let me do it again here. First, you know that I support your decision 100%. I was not in Banepaw when Treh ran it, but I was here for Gulmorgron, and for Garrah. The two are distinctly different, and not something you can compare apples to oranges. That being said, let me address how I feel about Garrah in particular, since that seems to be the issue. As I said, I'd like to see you more assertive. If you're going to lead, lead. For once, Horkugal and I have a disagreement on something, and that is the nececity of leadership in the Banepaw. While he believes that it has never truly neen necessary, I do. Each of us has one thousand great ideas on what we should do. We need a leader to correlate this things, put them into priority, and help mesh them together. IC, Garrah has the power to do this, but I feel she has so far been timid, afraid to offend anyone by being in charge. She has been too afraid of Gulmorgron and even Treh's shadow to truly step into her own. This does NOT mean I support a change of power, however. If Garrah feels prepared to step up a little further, and truly take the reins, then I am going to support her. However, if she feels it best to return Gulmorgron, or even instal somone new, I also support that. I realize I'm not a heavyweight in this decision, but at the very least I spoke my piece.

[opialaya]

I haven't really been able to grasp why the grievances are centering on Garrah, but maybe that's because I don't know what it means to be the leader of an RP guild. Like Grim, I wasn't around for Treh, and I only saw a few days of Gul, but I never got the sense that they were single-handedly responsible for the success of Banepaw. I guess things like Story Circle and Meditation rely on a lead to organize them...?

As a side note, I really enjoyed those two events, not necessarily for the events themselves (imo, Meditation was a snorefest :x ), but because it got the Guild together. I could actually see the other people who had the same guildtag as me, and I wanted to build my character's relationships with them. Personally (and this is no secret), Rahwane has been the most sustained example (and I always qq when she's gone a time), and more recently Rakumn and Fox. But my point here is, I wish I could RP regularly with all the guildmates I see online. I just haven't felt like my "RP for RP's sake" attitude is shared by more than a few other people, and I'm sincerely unsure how much of that has to do with guild leadership.

Now a disclaimer: I realize I may approach RP on Moon Guard with a "harder line" than most. As I've said on a few occasions: I never log on to MG without the intent to RP. I'm relatively new to RP in WoW, since I've been playing the game since beta. All my "normal" mains are on another server. Grey and Opi exist for RP and nothing else. That probably isn't true for a lot of other people in the guild, so I want to be sure I identify and respect that difference. It alone may explain why I get frustrated at logging on and feeling as though there are no RP opportunities.

[Gul]

The most important thing that I think I have to offer here is reassurance. This kind of talk, it's enough to get anyone to start thinking like a cynic. But please, don't. That's the last thing that any of us should be doing. We have to look past what could or should be, and look past whatever explosions might come of this particularly volatile situation. Could the guild be disbanded altogether? Could more members leave? Sure, yes. But, what does that matter? I know, I may seem particularly lax about this whole situation and, I know that, might seem a little, well, assish.... But please, take my word for it, I swear that it isn't. During my time as lead, the idea that, out of the blue, the entirety of the guild could leave due to my poor management never, ever left the back of my mind. The possibility of losing these friends, however, NEVER did. There's not a whole lotta people in the world that I'd count as people I'd take a bullet for. Those few that there are, they are right here. We've gotten through shit, in the past - I'VE gotten through shit in the past - because I knew that, no matter what in the fuck hell happened, I would always, ALWAYS be able to say that I have friends, I have a Fellowship. Be it IC or OOC, they were there.

So, in my opinion? Should I be lead? No. After sometime spent thinking about it, I think I'd make a horrible leader. My purpose is not to lead - It never is, I don't think - it's to support. My time on Moon Guard prior to Banepaw was outrageously fun because of that fact. I was able to touch many guilds (obb) and character's lives, reshape their character in a way, leave my imprint on both their person ad their roleplay. That, I believe, is the mark of a good roleplayer - One who is able to, in some part, shape the world around him. Am I able to achieve that as leader? No, not as much as I would like to.

So, I'm not too worried about things, on account of the aforementioned. I know, full and well, that at the end of the day, I will be able to show others the lessons I've learned from being a part of The Horde, being an orc, being a Banekin, and that they, in turn, are able to share it, even it is subconsciously. I know that, at the end of the day, I am able to add my own touch to the roleplay that others try to create, I am able to look at this and know that the greater community is strengthened, in part, because of my own hand. And, I firmly believe, that no matter what happens over the course of that, no matter whatever happens beyond this point, there is always the possibility for a new beginning. There is always a group of people I know I can count on, and they know they can count on me, in turn. I love each and everyone of you. As roleplayers, as people, as family. Nothing will ever change that fact.

[Karonak Embermaw]

I just had to put something in here. I am not in the mood to like... deeply argue, but I feel like since this is a topic that has spanned over many months I at least owe a few sentences. So this is just me putting into concrete forum posts what I have said numerous times over the past few months.

1. I am way past this, and I wish nothing but the best for Banepaw, all of you, but this is not something new... and it is kind of weird seeing it being treated this way. This was not the first time these grievances have come up. They have come up numerous times, just manifested in different forms. I will say this here, not judging anyone or making any claims to the nature of this, but back when I was having my grievances in the guild it was because I felt like I was a second rate Banekin in the eyes of the current leader, Gul, to the other Banekin, Garrah. I know I was not alone in seeing this, and I am not alone in seeing this now. Do not get me wrong, Gul whether you feel like you should be the leader or not, I will stand by that I think that you did a better job leading Banepaw then any other leader I have seen in any other guild in my five years of playing World of Warcraft. My point, yes I have one... I know this is getting winded, is that when that situation occurred... the problems were adressed. Numerous people addressed them many times... and they were never fixed, so those people left. The same thing is happening now. There are warning signs, these people leaving didn't decide one day to just pick up and go, they tried to make their point known. Chances are, people were just too blind with the a happy illusion to notice it, which is not a bad thing... it happens to everyone.

I am sorry, I lost my thesis. I am tired, consider this to be more of a... train of thought answer then a real structured answer. I think my main point is this.

This is not a new thing to Banepaw. Garrah, you should not see this as being all your fault. Banepaw was one of the best guilds I have ever had the pleasure of being apart of, but this has happened for as long as I have been in it... honestly, I have done it also. So my only piece of advice is to just listen to people when they have a problem. Really listen. Put aside favoritism or biases (if they exist) and work to fix the problem, not to make everyone happy.


Two minor things also.

A) A lot of the changes (this is out of expieriance) might have something to do with people who joined back when Banepaw was focused about defense and peace, as upposed to burning down Dwarven cities and become a mobilized millitary force. I know I loved meditation and story circles far more then I ever loved military RP. Any idiot can pick up a sword and go kill some monsters. Banepaw used to do it with spirituality and grace.

B) Just a little theory I cooked up. If you want a guild that has no leader... have no leader. Sure, to put it in Terenas' words "There always has to be a Lich King" *cough guild leader cough*, but who says this needs to be an active character? Garrah, why not make an alt hold the title of Guild Leader? That way, everyone who makes decisions is the highest rank they could possibly be, no character IC or person OOC feels like they are really playing as the leader, but are acting more as the keeper of the records. Instead of leading, they are simply doing the things the highest rank can't do alone. Just a thought.


Thanks for reading folks, and I mean it when I say good luck.

-Shira

[Karonak Embermaw]

Once again, I am sorry for the loss of structure. I am so... freaking tired.

[erier]

Soooo, what you are saying is that the guild was worth leaving because

they focused less on spirituality and you thought Gul and Garrah looked down on you?

[Karonak Embermaw]

...your kidding me right? That's honestly all you got from that?

[Karonak Embermaw]

You know what, I don't even care if that's all you got out of it. I can only hope that someone who actually has something to do with the problem reads what I wrote and got it's meaning. Hopefully that person will have something constructive to say that doesn't involve being a passive aggressive bitch.