Rigidity v Discipline

This is a topic I've been wrestling with on and off for the past 3 years, since my exit interview at Wells Fargo.  I was told that I was guilty of being too rigid with the team, the implication being that I didn't listen to them and presented them with a "my way or the highway" persona.

More recently, I've been painted as someone who NEVER listens to a junior colleague.

I try to post authentically using the same voice that often offends co-workers and gets me into trouble with supervisors.  Blunt, direct, sarcastic, and laced with snark towards mentalities that I loathe.

What gets lost in the affrontery is that I'm attacking undisciplined mentalities and habits - and the poor outcomes that result.  Not people.  Never people.  We're all human and fallible.  If we can't laugh at our folly while trying to be better, then I don't know how we can remain healthy. 

My LinkedIn feed is filled with posts extolling the virtues of the empathetic and supportive leader. 

I support that view.  I truly care about helping both my clients and mentees reach their full potential and freely share my time and experience.  I also encourage people to challenge me with new ideas and perspectives I've not yet arrived at, because I'm a lifelong learner.

However, those who reveal themselves as entrenched in their points of view and incapable or unwilling to defend their ideas and positions make rethink my investment of time and energy.

That's not to say that I'm always right or that I'm not ridiculously stubborn in my own right, but not agreeing is not the same as not listening.

I'm big on structure and process.  People keep telling me that I shouldn't let perfect get in the way of good enough.  This saying has risen to the same level of unquestioned mantra in IT and agile circles as Malcolm Hawker's favorite gem of "garbage in/garbage out".  Basically, a cop out couched as conventional wisdom.

For me, it's about habit formation.  Cutting corners to make dates and succumbing to the pressures of managers or "important" stakeholders results in poor outcomes - and occasionally a headline-making fuck-up.  Yes AWS, I'm talking to you.

Am I being rigid, or am I a lone voice crying out in the wilderness beseeching folks to take the time to develop disciplined habits?

Those who got past their hurt feelings and recognized the love behind the snark are my proudest achievements.  Not successful data initiatives, big name former employers, job titles, or compensation figures.

While I despise and rebel against manufactured urgency, there is one thing I have to acknowledge.  Modern business can't afford to wait for data teams to get their shit together.  I believe one of the keys to making that happen with lasting effect is to stop cutting corners, rushing outcomes, and develop habits that demonstrate consistency and discipline.