Warrior Work
Week 23
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CHARACTER TRAIT: OBEDIENCE

O*be*di*ence n. An act or instance of following commands or guidance.
The word obedience comes from the Latin words ob and audio and means literally "to hear". Obedience is the key to hearing directions or guidance
that will help you or your team move toward a common goal. This is done by directing your energy through the appropriate techniques verbally and
physically that fit the situation you are in to achieve that goal. Disobedience detracts from the goals or tasks of the team but it is important to
distinguish between mistakes, miscommunication of directions,
failing and moral or ethical disobedience.
*Mistakes or errors occur when directions are not followed impeccably generally because of a lack of focus or ATTENTIVENESS to one's goal or task
*Miscommunication occurs when directions are not clearly given or clearly understood. It is important to ask questions by all involved and avoid
assumptions.
*Failing can be a result of not having the skills or ability to do the task and still accepting the task or assigning a task that a person is unable to do
(setting up failure). Failure can be a time to step back and look at the big picture, reaffirm one's goals and then proceed.
f-inding a-n i-mportant l-esson i-inspiring n-ecessary g-rowth
*moral disobedience is choosing to not obey the directions or commands of the state (civil disobedience) or one's authorities because it goes against
one's moral code or conscience and understanding of what is "right" or "good"

WAYS TO PRACTICE OBEDIENCE
1. Be prompt, don't procrastinate, the longer you put it off the more
difficult it becomes to do and the more we avoid it
2. Be cheerful
3. Be thorough
4. Don't complain; complaining is like slow poison that infects the entire team
5. Go the "extra mile". Do your best for the team and yourself

Lesson in Obedience:
When Sun Tzu first brought his philosophy of strategy to the emperor of China, the emperor asked him if he could apply it to anyone. Sun Tzu replied
he could so the emperor asked him to apply it to the women of his court. Sun Tzu lined them up in the courtyard, appointed two of them as leaders of
their respective groups and gave them a command to turn right. The women all laughed. Sun Tzu explained the command and gave it again. The
women again laughed. Sun Tzu then explained how when a command is clearly given and not followed then the "troops" lack respect for the authority
so he ordered the two leaders of the group to have their heads cut off as an example. The emperor sent down a messenger to stop him but Sun Tzu
replied it was his duty to not follow the emperor's orders since his prior orders superseded the current ones.
He had the women's heads cut off, appointed two more women as leaders, gave the same commands and everyone followed them quickly and exactly.
In modern America, unlike China in 500a.d., you don't get your head cut off for not following directions but other results may include suspension,
expulsion, being fired from a job, being excommunicated from a church, being removed from political office or even causing the deaths of others
through negligence or gross misconduct as in the Exxon Valdez disaster or even in the too common d.u.i.'s that occur from not obeying the laws
regarding drinking and driving. Discerning when and how to obey versus not obeying is an important task for the modern warrior.

By Peter Hill, Copyright 2004
www.getittogether.net

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