Your role as Leader

Recently I made a rather hard decision as a guild leader, probably the hardest I've personally ever made in that position. And that decision, upon reflection, has proven to be the only one I could have made if I wanted to stick to my principles.


I retired as leader of my guild.

Why? The most important reason is I could no longer give the guild what I felt it required, and deserved. I could no longer be a strong, present leader. Events and situations in my real life were distracting me from the day to day functions of the guild, and problems with the game itself were only adding to the distraction and sense of unease. I wasn't playing the game much, and don't see myself playing much of it in the near future. And if I wasn't playing I could no longer be there to direct the guild or deal with issues that crop up from time to time.

I could have easily just left the game, told the guild I was taking a short break from everything and was coming back later. Some guild leaders I've seen have simply vanished on their members, leaving them with no recourse and no clear leader. I didn't want to do that, and I didn't want to lie to the people I had come to respect and love so much. I knew in my own heart that the "break" was more than likely permanent, and despite the fact that I wasn't carrying the guild leader tag (an issue with RoM's Siege War) I was still the leader and I felt I had a responsibility to tell the guild the truth.

So I vacated the position and handed leadership over to the officers and let them make the decision about where to go from there, and who should be in charge. The didn't disappoint, instead of finding a new leader they elected to form a ruling council for the guild, making all major decisions by mutual agreement. I couldn't have asked for a better outcome, for while I held the end right to make all major decisions, I rarely ever did so without the input and consent of my officers.

Pictured: not my officers

I know I did the right thing.

But looking back on my experiences with being the guild leader I've asked myself what I did so right that the guild not only survived during my administration but thrived, becoming stronger than when I was given the guild. And what I did wrong. And I feel that I did more right than wrong, and only because I felt so strongly about the guild and about my own character (not my toon). I want to be a good person, so I try very hard to be one.

Ask anyone about leadership and they'll probably spout of some catchy phrases like "lead by example," or "lead from the front." Politicians usually claim they're leaders, though in my mind operating by political expediency isn't leading. Others may say they're leaders because they're "the best" at what they do. Personally I think being a leader is more involved than that, more personal. Being a leader means being there for those you lead, and always pushing them as well as yourself to do better and be better people. A leader doesn't automatically drop someone from an organization because they aren't doing well, but tries to find that niche that that person will excel in.

But foremost among leadership qualities I would rate the integrity and honesty to say "I am not perfect, but improving." The biggest sacrifice a leader must give is one of ego. Being a leader, one with a title, gives one a status that cannot be ignored, but for the good of the guild must be put aside. A good guild leader doesn't think of themselves as better than their guild, but a part of it, just another wheel that keeps the whole machine moving. Doing so allows the leader to accept the faults in others, and work with them.

As guild leader of TBT I did all those things books and motivational speakers and JROTC instructors tell you to do. I set the example, I lead from the front. Trying to promote unity and giving within the guild I would most often just give my old gear away to another member, upgrading them if possible. Sure my wallet took a hit (no selling means no gold) but I did it for the guild, another geared member meant more opportunities for all of us. I was the first in my guild to tier a weapon (unique to RoM, that I know of) and almost always one of the first to break into new content and instances. I maintained my composure and didn't give in in the face of something as disastrous as the guild breaking nearly in half. I would always try to calm an angry situation or find humor in troubled times, and I did my damnedest to treat each and every member of the guild with respect.

George Washington, perhaps one of the finest leaders this country has ever known, set the standard and the bar for the President so high that so many of our best have failed to live up to it. He could have been made leader for life, instead he elected to only serve as President for 8 years. He could have been called any number of things, but for him a simple Mr. President sufficed. He was in a position of great honor and prestige, and by his humble actions only improved upon it. If I could be said to be attempting to emulate anyone, Washington would be him.

So when it came down to my needs over the guild's needs, I made my ultimate sacrifice, and gave the guild to those it belonged to anyway, it's members. And while my story with TBT isn't quite done yet, I know that the little time I had with such people will be forever marked on my soul, and I couldn't be prouder of who they are, nor prouder that, for a time, I had the honor of leading them.

Dealing with "that" guy

You know who I'm talking about. The guy who's always causing you some kind of trouble. From the word go.


This guy can take many forms. It could be some snooty bastard who thinks his shit don't stink. It could be a younger person with a chip on their shoulder and something to prove. It could just be a guy who, for whatever reason, enjoys being a jerk. All of them can cause their own brand of mayhem, and can cause you nothing but grief as a guild leader.

But what if they're not breaking any of your rules? Kicking them, as I laid out in a previous entry, might be an option if you've got some ruling that covers their behavior and expressly mentions it as a kicking offense. But if they're just being annoying and not doing anything serious? Well, that's pretty much for you to decide there. You've got to decide if the pattern means more than whatever ruling you might have laid out.

As guild leader you have to be flexible.  Your first and foremost concern should be the welfare of the guild and whatever decisions you make should be to their benefit. So if putting up with an annoying little twit is what's best for the guild (say they all like the guy but he's just rubbing you the wrong way) then do it. But if their action is causing acrimony and disdain from other members the best thing to do would be to kick him, lance the boil before it becomes a serious problem.

Sometimes a player just isn't a good fit for a guild, regardless of how well liked they are how good a player they are. I'll give you a few examples just from my own experience, omitting any names. Not for fear of retaliation but because I just don't want to start any shit.

One member was kicked for violating our guild policy of respect. A simple rule, and one that nearly everyone had no problem with. Point in fact this guy had no problem with it until he suddenly started buying up gear. Once he was fairly geared for a tank we started testing him out on some runs to get a feel for his tanking style and basically to see if he could be a front line tank for us, something I get tired of being all the time lol. But once he started tanking that's where the trouble began.

He started berating others in the party for not doing their "jobs" and generally just being stuck up about himself. The final straw came while I was at work and he was tanking for a mixed group of TBT and an ally guild. An issue arose and he called down our allies in chat and in whispers. One of my officers witnessed the event and summarily kicked him for the rule violation. I had them send me a screenshot of the whispered conversation and upon reading it I upheld the decision made by my officer.

In that screenshot it was obvious he was being a controlling idiot on the run, and he outright told the other party "I have 3 rules when I group, I pull, I pull, I pull." (the incident in question involved someone pulling a mob that he wasn't "ready" for and it got him pissed off) That simple statement told me everything I needed to know about his attitude about tanking and working with a group, that is to say he wanted to be in charge and did not care for the input of others, making him a poor choice for a group member and an unwelcome guild member.

He's since formed his own guild with his wife and named it based upon our follow-up conversation. I liked the guy and I wish him the best, but the drama he and his wife have been in with other guilds since then have affirmed my action, he would not have been in the guild much longer if I had allowed him back anyway.

Another member voluntarily left recently when he discovered he could not buy access to the guild bank, something we keep from new members on probation so that a new person can't just walk in and steal a bunch of stuff from there, which has happened (thus the rule lol). He raised a fit and left instead of just waiting out the short period or asking for an officer's assistance. He wasn't willing to respect the rules and thought he could just buy his way out of them, and when that didn't happen he threw a tantrum.

He will not be missed.

But you gotta love that guy, without him it would get boring sometimes ... Nah.

Adjusting to the Game

We've already discussed what to do if you suddenly find yourself thrust into the limelight as a guild leader,  and how to handle potential drama within the guild.


Now's a good time to discuss changes within the guild and with the game that can affect the guild.

No MMO operates in stasis, that is to say they are constantly changing with updates, expansions, class balance and the like. It's important for you as the guild leader to be aware of these changes and how they could affect your members.

New Content

If you're an endgame guild this change is going to be especially important to you. New content means more challenges to tackle and avenues to explore. There's usually new instances that come with expansions, and being the first on a server or game to tackle them could be important to your guild. And chances are if you're an endgame guild you'll have no shortage of people looking to tackle the new content.

For players not quite at endgame, or even nowhere close, new content will often mean a jump in your own gear as endgame players get new gear and pass on their old. They'll oftentimes sell them or if you're in their guild they may give it to you or sell it at at reduced rate. I've seen guild members sell an item to a guildie at half of what the item was worth, and I've personally always tried to encourage that among my members with a "get guildies geared" philosophy.

Often new content will also have a level cap increase, meaning there will be more quests available to do and level up with. Unless you're just gung ho to tackle that newest instance give your guild a few days to discover all the nuances of the expansion and perhaps level up some before moving on. Some instances require a certain level or an attunement series of quests so this info may need to be discovered and shared among the guild.

Class Balance

Almost the 3rd rail of MMO's, a game that gets it right is RARE. Chances are your game is going to periodically update it's class balance by tweaking stats, skills, talents, or what have you. This month's OP class could be next month's bottom-of-the-barrel. This is going to be important to every player of the game, regardless of whether they are in a guild or not.

Be sure that you thoroughly test it out and understand it's impact on your guild and your groups. That rogue who was tanking every run might suddenly find himself squishy and unable to tank, leaving your groups to find an appropriate replacement if one is not already available. Your top dps might find themselves nerfed. All sorts of things can happen with a class balance, you will need to be on your toes and adjust accordingly.

PEOPLE

One thing you'll notice if your guild stays active long enough, there will be a river of people flowing through your guild. People have a wide range of priorities and finding that perfect fit in a guild isn't the easiest thing to do. Sometimes the flow of people will be positive, growing your ranks and possibly enabling your guild to do more, and other times it's going to be negative, and you may feel like your guild is hemorrhaging members. Most of the time those leaving and those joining are going to be small in number. A guild member might invite a friend or two they got interested in the game, or someone may quit the game entirely.

Occasionally whole groups of people might leave. I've personally had the majority of my officers leave to form their own guild, taking roughly half of the active membership with them. Sometimes a players priorities and goals simply aren't going to be in line with the guild's. They may even blame you personally as their reason for leaving the guild.

In the end, don't let change get to you. Things are never going to remain the same. If you've got a core group of members that all share the same goals and want to remain together, chances are your guild will be able to withstand almost any storm that comes it's way. The Black Tower, my guild on RoM, has held together for over 2 years now, and is still growing and going strong.

May you be as lucky as I have been.