READ THIS FIRST: I’m an INFJ… here’s what Wikipedia says about that:

INFJs are conscientious and value-driven. They seek meaning in relationships, ideas, and events, with an eye toward better understanding themselves and others. Using their intuitive skills, they develop a clear and confident vision, which they then set out to execute, aiming to better the lives of others. Like their counterparts, INFJs regard problems as opportunities to design and implement creative solutions.

INFJs are believed to adapt easily in social situations due to their complex understanding of an individual’s motivations; however, they are true introverts. INFJs are private individuals who prefer to exercise their influence behind the scenes. Though they are very independent, INFJs are intensely interested in the well-being of others. INFJs prefer one-on-one relationships to large groups. Sensitive and complex, they are adept at understanding complicated issues and driven to resolve differences in a cooperative and creative manner.

INFJs are deeply concerned about their relations with individuals as well as the state of humanity at large. They are, in fact, sometimes mistaken for extroverts because they appear so outgoing and are so genuinely interested in people.

Why is this important to understand?

I get no ego-based satisfaction about being a raid leader. In the absence of leadership and when faced with obstacles, INFJs reluctantly stand up and take on responsibility… out of concern for the whole. For me, that means keeping in-game friends playing together and experiencing the satisfaction of cooperatively taking down content. I lead because people want me to… not because I get some kind of power rush from it… that’s important to understand.

Some raid leaders are, on the surface, overly confident and even cocky… and some raid team members respond better to that kind of leadership. While I am often excited about the strategies I bring to raids, I am always cognizant that I do not know it all. I study hard and am prepared for encounters (probably over-prepared), but I always welcome ideas and feedback … any veteran raider will confirm that.

It’s also important to understand that I care about each and every person on our team. I am thrilled when someone tells me they are going to have a baby (happened three times in Legion) or gets a new job. It’s just how I am wired. So when someone leaves our team or just disappears without explanation, I take it personally. You may never know it… I will likely never say it… but it does affect me. If you want a raid leader who doesn’t just see you as a number, but as a real person…Resonance may be just what you are looking for.

What does progress mean to me?

Progress, at any cost, is not how I operate. Our goal will be to clear Heroic content and get as far on Mythic as we can in each raid tier… but not at the cost of demoralizing or demonizing raid team members. I will not rage and scream because a new tier is coming out and mistakes are keeping us from getting to the current tier end boss. The beauty of raiding is problem-solving as a team… as long as we are in that mindset and being respectful, we are winning.

This is a team sport and there is no “win” if only some of us get across the finish line. That means that I do my best to make sure everyone experiences the content when there is a bench. If you are lower in DPS output or attendance, you may have to sit on the bench until you can get your DPS or attendance numbers up, but you will see the content as soon as overall team output can carry you (if need be) through it. This is how true teams operate.

Furthermore, we will always try and help you. If your numbers are consistently low (a problem we only had once in Legion), we will try and pair you up with a mentor to help you improve. You should be open to this and recognize that most teams would bench you or remove you… we believe that no team member gets left behind and will give you a reasonable amount of time and assistance to improve.

My time is valuable… as is yours.

I make no money being a raid leader and it does take up a lot of my time. Time I could be working for my clients or spending with family and friends. I also recognize that you are taking time away from your loved ones and other activities you enjoy. Understanding that you depend on me and that I depend on you, I am always online on time to start invites… I expect the same of you.

When a raider shows up right before the raid begins, I am annoyed. Why? Because invites begin 15 minutes before the raid begins… and I need to evaluate the raid comp, sort out groups (for raid-split encounters), get a grasp on what cooldowns I have to work with, etc. That’s a lot to do while managing invites.

Every now and then, we get stuck in traffic or are running late home from work. S#!t happens. Shoot me a message on the Discord or WoW app and let me know you’ll be late. But this should be a once or twice a year exception. Raids are not “show up when you can”… they are a commitment you are making to be there for each and every raid (with exceptions made for business travel, vacations, and medical emergencies or illness).

I haven’t always been a raid leader. I led in Burning Crusade, Warlords, and Legion. During my time as a raid team member, I was cognizant of the stress that leading a team put on both the raid leader and the other officers. To not add to that stress, I made sure that I was prepared with flasks, potions, and properly gemmed and enchanted gear. I also did as much research as I could on the progression fights we were going to tackle next. I ask that you, at a minimum, do the same.

Maybe you messed up… or maybe there’s a mechanic we need to understand better!?

Please always understand that if I ask you “what happened”, I am NOT trying to shame you. I promise.

I know that it feels like you are being called on stage to stand in the spotlight and admit your failure, but that’s not how I see it. I have no interest in making you feel like a failure… that only leads to your demoralization and deterioration in performance. My only intention is to literally understand “what happened”.

Too often, important questions aren’t asked to spare someone’s feelings. The problem here is: If we don’t ask questions, we can’t learn. I may have positioned you in a way that you can’t ‘get out of bad’ as easily as another class… so we swap positioning. Or you may have just been tunneling… ok, you know what to fix. But I need to know.

So when I ask you “what happened”, I am hoping to hear from you “I know what I did and will fix it” or some detail on what caused your demise (that may be outside of your control) so I can help prevent it from happening again.

Ever feel pissed off during a raid?

There is so much going on in our lives and in the world that can be stressful. If you’re in our raids and are feeling heated, it is likely being amplified by what is happening in your real life. Recognizing this can help you deal with your inner rage demons. We’re all wired differently, so my advice may not work for you… but this is what I do:

1. I put my mic on mute;

2. I take a moment and let my initial temptation to rage wear off a bit;

3. I remind myself that I like these people… and that they are REAL people with REAL feelings;

4. I put myself in your shoes and try and imagine how I would sound if I did say what I am thinking or feeling; and

5. I follow my WoW mantra which is to never, ever g-quit in a moment of anger.

Whatever you need to do, never ever take it out on me or your fellow raid members… and it’s on us to never take it out on you.

That’s all I got… if you have questions or thoughts on this, hit me up on Discord at Ashkevron#7789. And thanks for spending a few hours a week of your life tackling pixels with us!