The Sue Sylvester Method to Raid Leading

sue

She is ruthless.

Unforgiving.

Merciless.

Sue is the cheerleading coach from Fox’s Glee. She certainly knows a thing or two about winning and what it takes to get to that national spotlight. As raid leaders, we try to be accommodate and work with the players available. Sometimes it just isn’t enough.

This is where we can take a page from Sue.

Never takes her eyes off the goal

Whether it is adding another national title to her impressive trophy case or crushing her opponents, Sue never wavers in her pursuits. Set goals and figure out the best way to attain them. Don’t immediately discount every option. You just might have to be creative to find ways to get the job done if the obvious method isn’t apparent.

Be fanatical about your desires as it will rub off on other players.

Openly critical

Get right to the point. Sue never hesitates in sharing what’s on her mind. She says things openly and honestly. Of course, she could be wrong but know that she’ll never sugarcoat failure. If someone screws up, she’ll whip out the megaphone and bellow who it was and what they did. Not only does it inform them what they did wrong, it also sets an example for everyone else. You don’t need 25 players experiencing a defile to understand that it is a bad thing to stand in.

It’s good if a player learns from their mistakes. It’s even better if everyone learns from a player’s mistakes.

Gives people a chance

Sue doesn’t outright say no to anyone who wants to be on the squad. She gives them a shot to prove to her that this is where they belong. Depending on what your guild does, keep an open mind when it comes to applicants. Don’t outright reject anyone unless you have a solid reason to do so. You never know when you’ll find a diamond in the rough.

Reward them

Champions need to be treated like champions. The Cheerios work hard to get where they are. They take care of Sue’s aspirations, and Sue in turn, takes care of them. I wouldn’t be surprised if her budget for the cheerios dwarfs what the entire school gets from the school board. Give your players access to resources that will help them play better. Offset repairs a little. Provide consumables for their usage. Enchants, gems, and other augments should be offered up. Any players stand out in a particularly rough kill? Recognize them.

Killer instinct

Whether she wants to blackmail the principal or destroy tht blasted glee club, when Sue has her mind focused on a goal, she does her utmost best to see it through to the end. This is the kind of cutthroat, no holds barred attitude that slowly seeps to the rest of the raid. If this type of fervor to take down a raid boss can spread, you’ll notice a difference right away. After all, if your raid isn’t motivated or lacks that proper killer instinct, you’re going to have other issues entirely later on.

7 thoughts on “The Sue Sylvester Method to Raid Leading”

  1. Wow. You know, you’re kind of right? I wouldn’t think of Sue Sylvester as being someone anyone should emulate (being that I see her from the Glee Club’s side of thing. I was never a cheerleader. I was actually IN the glee club.), but you’re right, she definitely does have some positive attributes when it comes to being a group leader.

    GO, RAID, GO!
    .-= Apple´s last blog ..Emblem Spending (and SM lag?) =-.

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  2. I suppose… Sue is just such a bitch. I try to keep a firm but strong hand with my guildmates and raid members. I think many of your points are valid, but only if you can lighten up a little and be friendly and nice about it.

    That’s actually one of the interesting parts of Glee, is the totally opposite leadership styles of Sue and Will. Somewhere in between is probably best.
    .-= Cassieo´s last blog ..Know Your Healers =-.

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  3. I do like a strong raid leader but probably would avoid the open critics. I think if a player is makin a mistake, a private message can usually clear it up. A lot of mistakes can be as simple as someone having their graphics turned down and not seeing a poison cloud they should be avoiding.

    Aside from that, I like this type of raid leader:)
    .-= Cathy´s last blog ..The Courteous RankWatch =-.

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  4. The ultimate obligation of the raid leader is to the raid.

    If someone is failing, be they defile magnets or low dps on a dps check, you can opt as a raid leader to have the raid sink- or to work with Einstein and change it up (aka ‘insanity is repetition without change while expecting different results’).

    So- frankly, every option is on the table. And, depending on where you are- it mat be called for.

    After you’ve wiped 50, 60, 100x learning the defile phase of the LK- the line of failure, the line of direct discipline, is much much thinner then on attempt 1.

    And while we have our ideas, and concerns in what is or is not too critical or fierce- raids, like the Cheerios, win by downing bosses. And raid leaders have to be willing to make the call – any call- in order to help facilitate that.

    Go Sue Sylvester, go.

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  5. She also hoards resources. ( Photocopiers!) and doesn’t like sharing them – sends spies to other teams, and is rather machievellian in her leadership style – it might get results, and as machievelli said ” It its better to be feared then loved – fear lasts longer I would rather not fear my raid leader to that extent.

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