I think I figured out what it is that bothers me about a particular colleague. This person sees every disagreement with him/her as a personal attack and the people who disagree with him/her as his/her enemies. It is a singularly childish and immature attitude to bring into the work place, especially in work places where policies and decisions have effects on many different constituencies and stakeholders. We can't protect X at the expense of Y.
And to me, this person who is closer to retirement than the rest of us is not only immature, but also foolish because this person consistently and constantly takes a combative approach to disagreements with colleagues who would be much better positioned as allies rather than adversaries. His/her actions create animosity, resentment, and deep fatigue for everyone, and personally, I have zero desire to work with him/her in the future because I have zero trust in his/her judgement, character, or collegiality.
But this teaches me valuable lessons about how professional success cannot be achieved alone. As teachers, our work in the classroom may depend primarily on ourselves, and much of writing also depends on what we can do. But even in both these contexts, we depend on the grace and generosity of mentors, tutors, and of course, from readers and students. Administrative work that is part of the life of all institutions is far beyond the purview of any single person no matter how kind, wise, or dedicated that one person is. And if that person has not built up kind feelings over the years, that person will fail. Spectacularly.
(Well, not always. The position of power still guarantees some privileges. But in the long run, that person has a much higher chance of failing than succeeding.)
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