User:Balloonman/act like an admin

The number one point that I emphasize in my admin coaching is that the key to becoming an admin is to act like an admin. This has been challenged as it supposedly takes people away from the project of building the encyclopedia. This is absolutely not the case. People who say that fail to understand what adminship is all about. Being an admin is not about having a few shiny new buttons that allows you to do things other people can't, it is about having the trust and respect of your fellow comrades. It is not about where or what you edit, ‘’’100% about attitude.’’’ Let me say that again, ‘’’Adminship is 100% about attitude.’’’  Everything else is secondary. If you don’t have the right attitude. Everything else you do is for naught.

To understand my take on this, it is key to understand, adminship is not conveyed an RfA or a ‘crat. One can be an admin without ever passing an RfA, while some who pass an RfA will never (IMO) truly be an admin. They may have the buttons, but without the right attitude they are nothing.

So, what do I mean by acting like an admin? Well, an admin is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, obedient, responsible, mature, thoughtful, respected, and fair.


 * An admin is trustworthy simply put, if you tell somebody you are going to do something, do it or let them know why you can't. People may come to rely on you, this is basic human decency, but it is a key to being an admin.
 * An admin is loyal Admins work for the improvement of the project. Wherever you go, whatever you do, are you seeking to improve the project?
 * An admin is helpful The best potential admins are the ones who are being sought out for their help/advice. It doesn't matter what the call, but if people are looking for you for help (whether it is to copy edit an article, to review an article, to help settle a dispute, to help format their talk page, to help understand policy) then that is a good thing.
 * An admin is friendly Civility can be interpretted in many different ways. Some people can be friendly without necessarily being civil.  The question is, are you open to others.
 * An admin is obedient If you want to be an admin, adminship is about serving the community, it isn't about governance or power.
 * An admin is responsible If you make a mistake, and we all do, own up to it. We are not demanding perfection, we seek accountability.  That being said, part of responsibility is to make sure that you don't mess up.  Are you responsible enough not to make careless mistakes?
 * An admin is mature It doesn't matter how old you are, if you act like a teenager, people will not respect you. Make your edits count.
 * An admin is thoughtful When you make comments on various talk pages/discussions, are they thoughtful?
 * An admin is respected Do people listen to your thoughts/advice, or do they think you make silly comments?
 * An admin is fair When you weigh in on subjects, are you fair to both sides? NPOV doesn't just govern articles, it can refer to our everyday life.  When people start coming to you for input because they know that you will be fair and honest, then you are an admin.

Being an admin isn't about the buttons, it is about being a decent human being. If you are a decent human being first and foremost, then everything else is secondary. A person who is trusted, loyal, helpful, friendly, obedient, responsible, mature, thoughtful, respected, and fair is much more likely to confired the buttons, even if they have obvious gaps in their credentials than somebody who lacks those key elements.