BrotherHec sipped his drink. Putting it down has already been a difficult road as a crew leader. He took a moment to reflect on his life in organized crime thus far and where the road had been taking him. The books in the library that his father Gatsby once sat in appeared to have a certain glow about them as if they were all screaming out to him, "pick me up just once more!" He could not. Not because he was so busy even though he was, it was just more about the lack of desire to read. He did not care to to read as much as he did to write. Sitting down looking at his library his eyes scanned the room until they fell on a dusty picture inside of a picture frame. He walked over and began to dust it off. His smile was slow but no doubt sincere in his joy to see the face of a former friend again. Looking over to the young associate he passed the picture.

So, one of your desires is to be a leader? A leader of a crew. You want your name to be bold and people to see you in all of your glory? You want the recognition from others and to call shots? You want to go down as one of the greats and really know that you brought change? Well one thing as a leader I think I must share with you before we progress.

BrotherHec had invited all of his members, those of the regime to speak about their own desires. What they looked to attain in their life. Some looked to just escape life while others looked to be molded by this life. Some looked to be at the pinnacle of this life while others looked to just stay in communication with others. This one associate had dared to speak something so bold something so daring it made BrotherHec feel his heart explode with criminal joy.

Your sole reason in being a leader is to serve. At times you will be unable to serve and that's where your hands step in. Some look at leadership as a mark to be served. They are the leaders whose names were written in sand. The one who chooses to lead by giving is etched in stone. Besides the idea of being remembered, my future leader, it is important you too remember that the men and women who work for you are in fact working for you. Their donations and taxes their tributes and trainings are to keep you safe and protected. They spend hours upon hours of their own lives to help you. This is sacrifice. This is loyalty. Whether you recognize it or not it is the most fundamental act. 

Say a young romans blossoms into the beautiful act of marriage. They spend years together having babies and raising a family they saw fit. Then one day the husband rolls over and looks at his wife and realizes the feeling he once felt is lost. What is he to do? Love is a choice. The man can either get up and leave her forever or choose to love her by his actions through his emotional numbness. Loyalty is given to you by action and you reciprocate that loyalty by your own actions.

You spend time recruiting but do you mail your members individually? You spend time building a gun but do you help teach them to build theirs? You must be like a father figure. If you are not willing to serve your family to the point of death then you are not willing to serve them at all. Your family must always come before you, do not forget that future leader.

At times your members will act out, they are criminals after all. If murder is your only option than their generations that follow may never fully learned what they did wrong. It is a grave mistake to take action against your members before explaining to them about their wrongful action. It is an even more dangerous mistake to kill them without asking about their situation.

Brotherhec looks down at his watch. Much of this appeared to be repetitive. Was it that he was repeating it for his own sake to become a better leader or few feared what the world would look like after he was gone. 

Remember that everyone wants to see you fall. The ones closest to you don't wish for that but are quick to recover from your death when you do pass. Your time will be short in the grand scheme of life and that's good. The time you possess you must act responsibly with it. Because the life that you see go red may not just be yours but the entire family that you lead.

Brotherhec held a picture frame up of some of his closest friends. Most of whom ran the city of Chicago but some of whom ran other cities. As he continued to show the picture he fell silent for a moment. The air that was reaching his lungs and flowing out had ceased. A moment of sheer heartbreak had reoccurred. 

You will lose members and that's the hardest thing as a leader. My first right hand man, jumbo, the oddly dressed man with a joint in his hand, was phenomenal. He protected me when I could not protect myself. My safety was his top concern. He motivated me to do more and be more for the regime. Then one Saturday afternoon I remember hearing how he was gunned down. My heart stopped. My friend had passed and there was noting I could do. I couldn't go back in time and change the outcome. 

This person here, PacaCasal, he was going to be my next right hand. In the retaliation war from New York I had previously set him up as my left hand. As I was writing someone to go and protect him a New Yorker had found him first and placed a bullet in his heart. Paca had donated more than I could count. He would always check in with me to see how I was doing and never hesitated to contend with me on the most important issues, respectively of course. When I lost him I began to feel despair.

Oh and one can not forget about SpaceCowBoy. Active as they came. He never knew how much I appreciated him. He never knew how much I valued him and most of that is because I never told him. He was always there to help foster a regime that would go into the future. His death was the signal of realization to me that leadership must never be taken lightly. His life was an exclamation That trust is a gift to be given and a privelage to hold. 

He continued to sip out of his drink. Smiling and looking at the picture. 

As a leader I find the hardest part is not actually losing your friends or family. It's the moment you acknowledge you have lost yourself and there's nothing you can do to change it. The Regime has taken part in three wars now. None of these wars have I ever walked out feeling like a winner. I don't care how many of their men we kill. It's in losing ours that always makes me question, was it worth it. In the first war only jumbo died but it felt like everyone died that day. In the second I lost many friends and even the third, which felt mostly like the second continued,  I lost nearly everyone.

losing everyone is rough on the heart. Losing yourself and knowing you don't care is terrible to the heart. It's when all fades away and the only thing that remains is who you are when you put on that suit, even when you aren't wearing it. One day I'll be dead. Hopefully you will be in charge running the show. Protect yourself. Stay alert. Keep your friends close. Don't give your trust out to easily, this has always been my biggest mistake. And remember when you take out their leader make them all remember why they shouldn't attack your family.

brotherhec embraced the accosiate and sat up. Straightening his tie he set the glass of water down and proceeded to walk to the door.

i really hope I see you again. Your desire for growth is the best thing I have ever witnessed in this life.

I could not think of anything worse than being in the family of a lazy CL which you obviously are as it shows below. No RHM or LHM to steer your crew whilst you spend less and less time here.

CREW INFORMATION

⚜️THE REGIME⚜️

Crewleader: BrotherHec (Don)

CL Recent Activity: Extremely Low (20-30 Hours Per Week)

RHM: None

LHM: None

Status: Accepting Members

IRC Channel: #whispers

Members (Made): 39 (4)

Petty Tax: Insanely Low

Felony Tax: Insanely Low

OC Tax: Insanely Low

Drugs Tax: Insanely Low

DFP Tax: Insanely Low

Fortifications: Insanely Well Fortified

Yet you claim to be 'Hardcore' LMFAO

HeavenlyNightmare stumbles onto yet another person replying as if they had any clue as to what is ongoing inside the walls of her CL BrotherHec's family. We all have things that for one reason or another keeps us away from our line of work! 

BooYah as if it's any of your business this family knows what we are doing and how to do what needs to be done when our CL is away. Furthermore you sir need to learn respect of any and all CL's in this world of ours. Any disrespect to any CL is grounds for a swim with the fishes!!! Oh but wait you suicided so you took easy way out simply because you received threats!!! Welcome to Mafia we all have threats with every step we take outside of our headquarters. 

Lacey stood in the streets where, moments earlier, a man criticized BrotherHec, and took off running. She had heard word of the criticism, and took the soapbox to give her account.

Of all the leaders I've ever served under, BrotherHec should be voted 'most likely to give a shit'. 

Lacey paused at the brashness of her comment, but continued unhindered...

Hec, at every turn has not hesitated to ask me what I need, what I want, what my aspirations are- all the whilst instilling the responsibility that each of us have for the family as a whole. I've never in all my years met a leader that takes such care in each interaction, mail, speech, or promotion. Day after day I'm sincerely amazed at the ability that BrotherHec has to make each member feel like the only member of the Regime, while making us feel like a family.

Your reaction to run was a good one, BooYah. Those who speak before thinking are destined for your fate- further reinforced by the simple non-factual nature of your criticism.

Well first I would like to thank you BrotherHec for bringing this topic to the streets.  After reading what KateLogan had published in the newest edition of the Logan Review, I had a few thoughts rolling around about something similar, so I decided to bring my thoughts here.  I could easily just voice my thoughts on what I believe to be bad leaders, even hypocrites, but I will attempt to focus on the good, and great leaders I am fortunate to be working with, and any my ancestors had the pleasure of working with.

The one who chooses to lead by giving is etched in stone. 

This is almost rare nowadays it seems.  There are several ways of giving, and I feel giving your time is one of the most valuable things a leader can give their family.  A leader should be giving encouragement in every area to help their members strive to their fullest potential.  Giving their time to train their members is key to building a strong family, rather than leaving the members to flounder, wondering what the hell they should be doing. Teaching them how this world of ours works, the dos and don'ts, rather than let their members have to seek advice outside of their family, for lack of not knowing they shouldn't HAVE to venture outside their own family.  

Personally, I for one do not mind helping anyone should they have questions, but the point of being a leader is because you want your own family to lead....so lead them...don't ignore them, don't let them wander off to others JUST because you refuse to teach them, guide them, answer questions, or even just talk to them. 

They spend hours upon hours of their own lives to help you. This is sacrifice. This is loyalty. Whether you recognize it or not it is the most fundamental act. Loyalty is given to you by action and you reciprocate that loyalty by your own actions.

Loyalty is a two way street, yes.  Each member devotes themselves to the leader, but if the leader cannot devote themselves to their family... what is the point there?  Members put their lives on the line for their leader when going into battle, but if the leader does not inspire the loyalty to follow them into battle til their dying breath, I seriously suggest they take a closer look at themselves.

I for one, pledge my loyalty, but it isn't given lightly.  It is not flimsy or wavering in times of need.  The loyalty I have will be there until my last breath. Could I give this loyalty in good faith IF my leader showed no interest in communications, teaching, or ignored anything I had to say? I can answer a quick...NO!  It amazes me to know there are leaders out there that do this, and it shows me I chose the right family, and district.  

I joined Don Slash, and I was extremely happy to be there in his family, my ancestors never having had the pleasure of working along side his before.  Having been asked to assist Consigliere Artus in branching out to allow Summerlin to thrive more, well it was a tough decision being Don Slash is a great leader to be working under.  I know Consigliere Artus is a great leader as well, so I chose to be a part of helping Summerlin grow. It is hard enough at times to find one great leader, let alone two, so I consider myself very blessed.

You spend time recruiting but do you mail your members individually?

This right here just confuses me to why a leader would recruit members, then not have ANY communications with them after the fact.  It makes me question why a leader would do this.  The only thing that comes to mind is that the leader wants the appearance of an active crew, a body to fill the space, grow their numbers.  This brings me back to my previous comments regarding fighting in battle with your leader.  Why would anyone fight if they know nothing of what their leader stands for?

Now it is easy to say that an associate can easily be transferred nowadays without severe repercussions, but any member Made and higher are there for life, or they should be - with exceptions such as taking a hand position elsewhere, or extreme circumstances.  

I question the fact that some of the fresh faces on these shores don't KNOW how things work here in our world, and since they are not taught they are free to transfer before it's too late, then it concerns me deeply.  This also makes me question the rapid promotions by leaders that don't teach, or communicate...what's the point?  Where is the value in the promotion?  Who does it benefit to have a MadeMan or higher who still have no clue in several aspects of our way of life?

You spend time building a gun but do you help teach them to build theirs? 

I would say this would be totally idiotic and impossible, yet it is actually happening here on these shores.  

You must be like a father figure. If you are not willing to serve your family to the point of death then you are not willing to serve them at all. Your family must always come before you, do not forget that future leader.

Father figure.  This basically falls under teaching and guiding your members, so not much to explore on that past what I've already mentioned.  To the point of death is a strong bond to have with your members, and vice versa.  

If I need something, Consigliere Artus, Don Slash, as well as their Right Hands - Capo BCP and Consigliere Bender, are there to help in any way possible.  Yes Left Hand Man @PoisionousJelly, I haven't forgotten you, too. *Winks*  All willing to help, no matter what the issue.  The same goes for anyone in our family, any one of the uppers are there to help to the best of their abilities.  Actually it doesn't even stop there.  We have several members that at the drop of a hat, help anyone who has a question or needs assistance.  Summerlin to me is the definition of FAMILY.

If murder is your only option than their generations that follow may never fully learned what they did wrong. It is a grave mistake to take action against your members before explaining to them about their wrongful action. It is an even more dangerous mistake to kill them without asking about their situation.

I have seen this happen, as have my ancestors over time.  When a leader proclaims out in the public view to be a certain type of leader, and acts the total opposite behind closed doors, out of the public eye....nothing but a hypocrite in my eyes.  If you cannot be the leader the public sees, then why should your members trust your words....ever.  If you say one thing in one place, and another elsewhere, frankly what makes you think you should be trusted by people who pledge their life for you?  What inspires your members to die for you if you cannot be trusted in their eyes?

The ones closest to you don't wish for that but are quick to recover from your death when you do pass.

I'd just like to point out that Not All members recover so quickly...some go down fighting long after their leader has fallen.

My ancestors' journals depict how they refused shelter in one particular war.  They were a Right Hand to a Godfather, and was offered shelter in their district, with the Underboss to the Godfather.  My ancestor declined the offer, going down fighting til their last breath after their Godfather had died. The Underboss understood the loyalty of my ancestor.

I ,too, share that same loyalty.  It isn't something I will turn off and on.  The reason?  Because my leader inspires that devotion.  It cannot be bought, nor persuaded to change.  It is there until death.  Isn't that how loyalty SHOULD be?  

I am not saying ALL leaders are like this, heavens know my ancestors have journals of great leaders of the past, and I myself am writing down along the way about the greatness I am surrounded by.  I just wish every leader could measure up.