As we stumbled out of bed and trudged over toward the dining hall, we grouped up together like the band of brothers we were. We filed into the kitchen one by one to be greeted by our hung over KM (Kitchen Manager) glaring all of us down, with a scowl across his face. I waited in line to wash my hands and checked my phone for the time: it was 6:29, a minute before we had to be in. After I scrubbed my hands clean of dirt, I walked over to check the clipboard with tasks that needed to be filled.

While I stood there reading, my angry KM came over and said to me, “You and the rest of the kitchen staff are late again. Make sure it doesn’t happen or you’ll all get PIR’s”. (PIR’s are personal instant reports, if a staff man receives 5 PIR’s in one summer he is fired. PIR’s are given out from anything for sleeping in to bullying a fellow staff member.)

To this I responded, “Why? The rest of the kitchen staff and I came in a minute early.” His brow sloped downward and his frown turned from a sideways parenthesis like frown to an upside-down U.

Then he said in a low growl pointing at the beat up clock on the wall that had probably fallen hundreds of times and was two minutes ahead, “You and the rest of MY staff run on MY time. That clock shows MY time”. I stared back at him and acknowledged what he said, realizing that he’s an angry drinker, I decided I just had to wait until his hangover had worn off for him before I talked to him to get some reason into that thick skull of his.
Once the meal was over and everyone was cleaning dishes and the rest of the kitchen, I hopped on pot sink quickly because there were two items. This is where dishes are scrubbed down before they go through the dishwasher.

As I’m almost done, my KM comes over. I swear I could see the steam coming out of his ears.  He opened his mouth and it sounded as if I got a drill sergeant mad that was part bear. “WHY ARE YOU ON POT SINK AND NOT IN THE WALK-IN [refrigerator] PREPPING THE CHICKEN TENDERS FOR TOMORROW NIGHT?!”

I began to explain myself in a low, calm tone, “Pot sink needed to get done. There were two things in here and would take a minute to…”

“I DON’T CARE! I’M THE KM HERE! NOT YOU! I DON’T CARE IF IT MAKES SENSE OR NOT! JUST DO IT!”
As I rushed over to the hand washing station, I noticed my coworkers rolling their eyes at my KM and giving him fatal-death-stares. I gloved up and rushed into the walk-in, completely ignoring my KM staring me down in my frustration.

The time in the cool and refreshing crisp air of the walk-in gave me time to clear my head. I realized that how terrible of a leader my KM was and that being a good leader required respect from the people being led. Respect isn’t gained by getting angry at your subordinates. Nor is it gained by expecting them to do whatever order their given and to follow it with blind obedience. After working under my KM, I don’t let my anger get to me so I can bond with my peers and make friendly and healthy relationships with friends. A good leader is one that gains the respect of his peers by getting hands on with their staff and making a personal bond of friendship, not hatred and frustration.