The soft continuous dud of rain hitting the cement sidewalk creates an orchestra of sorts, Amen thinks to himself. He is lost in thought pondering just how to correctly address questions on his mind. Being taught the importance of finding a good no second that great mentor, Amen has no thought to rush to fill his father's shoes. And in doing so enter the grave untimely. He coughs than begins to speak.

I have come to realize that this is a time of bustling new opportunities. And innovation of sorts unavailable to many of our forefather's forefathers. However with so much opportunity no doubted comes with much responsibility and much pressure. And along with the responsibility and pressure harsh consequences if one does not reach their expected or projected potential.

These realizations prompt me to present my next few questions to any experienced Mafioso in this "thing of ours". Those with the  experience and or criteria to speak of course. So here they are:

What are criteria of a great quality leader in these shores" What is expected of a member to become made and even afterwards to hold such a position of esteem? What key criteria prompt one in a leadership position to select their right hand or left-hand.

Amen takes a seat on a bench under a canvas of sorts to eagerly await his responses.

Hello Amen,

In this time of opportunities you ask relevant questions. With many inexperienced people trying their best to run a successful operation, the insights of others on these matters might help them.

I think that a leader should possess a number of skills if they wish to excel within this world for a longer time. But a lot of those things can be picked up on and a leader doesn’t have to be perfect right away. Like their members, a leader should grow as well.
 

That said, I think patience, modesty, an open attitude and continued efforts are key to becoming and staying a good leader. Efforts make sense, and I reckon someone else will elaborate on that so let me focus on the others as they sound like civilian characteristics instead of the criteria for a ruthless mob leader.

Modesty and an open attitude are vital to a successful operation, especially in the early days. A leader should believe in it’s own capabilities, but should also realise the context in which they operate. Being strong, doesn’t mean the other party isn’t. Being confident, doesn’t mean you are right. Being experienced doesn’t mean you can’t do better. Being just, doesn’t mean you’ll be treated fairly. Asking for help, allowing someone to help you is no weakness, but a moment of growth, even in public. Being stubborn about your own convictions isn’t helping your relations. Even when you think you are right, treat the position of someone else with respect and approach them with an open mind.

And finally I’d recommend leaders to be patient. Don’t get upset or panicked if things don’t go as you’d preferred them to go. Push yourself and your family to be better, so you can meet your own expectations. But never allow frustration, anger or minor incidents to escalate to a level that it’s threatening your life and your reputation.

It’s important to mention that I don't advocate to be a push-over though. A leader should let these seemingly civil traits work in their advantage. Muscle is just what you need when all else is out of the window. Never be afraid to show muscle, even if it means dying, but learn to be street smart, so you are in control. You need to play your cards right and not go all-in on the first opportunity. Folding a few times might make you win the game.

CS listens carefully to what both Amen and JaryllJicchai have to say, and she decides to speak up.

"I must say that I agree with you, Jaryll, though I would like to add a few things to what you said.

Seeing your crewleader make an effort should not only be him climbing the ranks over and over again only to finally become Godfather - Chairman. Making an effort contains much more than that. It involves doing whatever you value in your family - if you value your members speaking in the streets or visiting other people's businesses, you should do the same yourself. The same thing goes for people who value the social life within the family - if you do not at least try to make your members socialize with each other or speak with them yourself, you are not making an effort. 

Being a crewleader also brings more responsibilities. As long as your members are happy and satisfied, you have already come pretty far. It is up to the individual how to make this work depending on their values.

In this world of ours, it is not just about the members though. Some places have to work harder to earn their keep, and it is always a good thing to stay in touch with other people from the upper structure in my opinion - especially those within your city. The harder you work, the more people will notice and see your family or city as something different from the others.

I will only touch the other questions briefly. There are a few things that most people can agree on when it comes to being promoted - being active and getting along with the upper structure within the crew. Other things vary from place to place, but if you as a member wish to know what it takes, you should be able to ask the boss about it.

When choosing a RHM or a LHM, it is basically a question about trust and effort, and I am sure most people would agree to that as well. There is not much more to say about that.

Brilliant questions, Amen ."

Her throat feels sore after all that talking, and she decides to go back to the HQ to get some more cookies and milk...