Jerry’s Annotation Marginalia — Entry IV: The Weakness of Kings
They call themselves leaders. Clipboard generals, paper monarchs, rulers of cardboard kingdoms where the crown is made of recycled scheduling errors.
You show up, do the job, keep quiet — and somehow that’s threatening. Not because you’re loud. Not because you’re gunning for the throne. But because your silence reminds them how replaceable noise really is.
They don’t fear rebellion; they fear reflection. Because when someone competent walks by without asking for attention, it forces them to confront their own inefficiency. And God forbid they realize the store runs smoother when they stop talking.
The truth is simple: You’re not after their job. You’re after peace. You’re after hours that make sense and paychecks that match effort. But weak men see peace as rebellion, and efficiency as arrogance.
So they build paper walls. They enforce rules that only matter when someone’s watching. They mistake fear for respect and call it leadership.
Meanwhile, you’re out there stocking, running numbers, keeping the ship upright — and they’re upstairs holding meetings about morale.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned from these cardboard kings, it’s this: A true leader doesn’t fear being outshined. A true leader hands you the torch and says, “Run faster.”
The rest? They’re just managers playing monarch — waiting for a crown that’ll never fit.
Filed and stamped by Jerry “The Ankle Biter” Silverhand Tribunal Chair & Frontline Negotiator, Dept. of Petty Affairs
Doctrine: Don’t bark — bill.
Motto: I don’t flex, I calculate.