Get out of the minion pool

All “Hail the Chief Officer!” Throughout the factory the voices of a thousand brainwashed slaves plaintively cry out “Hail the Chief Officer” as they continue the mundane task of assembling parts in the minion pool.
Sounds like I have been watching one too many sci-fi movies or spending time in a sweatshop in backwater India.

Not really, all I’ve been doing is reminiscing on how some people run their offices.
Now I have nothing against checklists, they simplify your life.
I do, however, take umbrage with workplaces that are so bureaucratic that you cannot make a decision to sneeze without consulting a manual. On the other extreme facing a person who is incapable of a single independent thought drives me insane, especially if they are working for me. Somewhere, there is a delicate balance between allowing staff the freedom to perform and being able to trust that they will perform in the manner you desire.

Employees, look for freedom
Find 21st century style bosses that will let you add value and make a difference.
Get into the right environment. Does your boss teach, does he buy you coffee, does he comment on your shirt, does he want to give you a trip to Las Vegas, does he make you laugh?

In return do you approach him with solutions and not problems, do you keep him informed of your progress, and do you hit deadlines early because you are a successful contributing member of the company?
There is a balance. Fail to achieve this and your wonderful boss will throw up his hands in despair, ram a checklist down your throat, or simply fire you and return you to the minion pool.

Employers, find people you can trust
Dig the gold out of them. Give them a stage to perform on and let them shine.
Coach a little here and there where needed.

Demand excellence. Refuse to settle for the mediocre. Treat your employees like humans and not robots.
Inspire them with your vision, not just for the company but for their lives. Give them a little leeway but if they repeatedly fail to deliver, well return them to the minion pool and find someone else.

If you are stuck on a bus carrying 50 stinking chickens on the roof, the person next to you is snoring, and the driver is going way too slow (not likely with Zimbabwean bus drivers but you get the idea) don’t stay on the bus. You’ll die unhappy.
You have the choice to get off and find somewhere better.

Look at your corporate culture; if there is so much insanely, bureaucratic junk that you will end up deep in refuse then you are in trouble.
Jobs are okay, and it may get you from point A to point B but if you go crazy while getting there it just is not worth it.
Nothing is worth going insane for

If the corporate culture isn’t inspiring you then get out now.
If you are skilled don’t just think you can just go out and start your own business; use your skill and learn leadership.
Learn the sort of leadership that will inspire people and not just beat them into subjugation.

Learn to be the sort of leader that people want to work for, not just because of the great salary, but because they feel that they have ownership of the vision you have entrusted them with.

The leader who helps others make a difference in the world and applauds them for doing so, not just take all the credit at the end of the project.
The leader who remembers what the minion pool was like and wants to take others out of it, or even better see it completely destroyed.