Good Leaders Must Be Good Followers
Good Leaders Must Be Good Followers
Good Leaders, those that exhibit good leadership, true leadership, effective leadership, know they have to learn to be great followers first.
Joe and Lester, two directors in this organization, left the meeting with the Senior Vice President. The looked quickly to make sure no one was listening.
Joe, “Man, I can’t believe that idiot wants us to go back to using our old vendor. If our top priority is price, why in the heck are we going back to them?”
Lester, “What is rocks-in-his-head thinking? Their deadlines on delivery are a week longer than our current vendor. I don’t even get it. Hey, it’s almost lunch time. Why don’t we beat the crowd and head over to Papa Don Giovanni’s now?”
Joe, “Great idea. I am starving. Oh, hold on. I had a staff meeting scheduled. Let me call my admin and have her move the meeting to after lunch.”
Before we can become leaders we must learn how to follow
How would you feel if two important members of your team supported you in your meeting and then griped and moaned about you in the hall on the way back to their work-stations?
How would you feel if you had planned on attending a meeting and at the last minute the boss called to move the time?
How can you expect people to follow you if you are leading them astray?
As a leader you are always leading.
Your people watch as you walk into the room. Are you walking confidently? Are your shoulders hunched? Is your expression open or closed? Is there a frown on your face? Or a smile? If you are usually smiling, what does it mean when you are frowning? If you normally don’t greet your coworkers and today you do, what does it mean? Each and everything that you do, or don’t do, has meaning. You have to always think in terms of leadership.
AND IT IS ALWAYS ABOUT THEM!
As a leader you must be constantly aware of what you say and do and what you are not saying and not doing.
That one time where you don’t think anybody is listening is the one time when they will be.
That one time when you don’t think you are being watched is the one time that you will be.
Does this mean you have to be perfect? No. You do have to be constantly aware. You do have to always think in terms of leadership. Everything you do and don’t do leads.
Action Items.
Practice thinking in terms of leadership.
What is my expression saying?
Am I modeling behavior that I would find abhorrent in a follower?
What is my walk telling people?
What is my tone of voice saying or not saying?
I am walking the talk and talking the walk?
Ask your team if you model behaviors you expect from them.
Good Leaders Must Be Good Followers - To learn more about this author, visit John Cameron's Website.
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Are you ready to lead?
Good Leaders, those that exhibit good leadership, true leadership, effective leadership, know they have to learn to be great followers first.
Joe and Lester, two directors in this organization, left the meeting with the Senior Vice President. The looked quickly to make sure no one was listening.
Joe, “Man, I can’t believe that idiot wants us to go back to using our old vendor. If our top priority is price, why in the heck are we going back to them?”
Lester, “What is rocks-in-his-head thinking? Their deadlines on delivery are a week longer than our current vendor. I don’t even get it. Hey, it’s almost lunch time. Why don’t we beat the crowd and head over to Papa Don Giovanni’s now?”
Joe, “Great idea. I am starving. Oh, hold on. I had a staff meeting scheduled. Let me call my admin and have her move the meeting to after lunch.”
Before we can become leaders we must learn how to follow
How would you feel if two important members of your team supported you in your meeting and then griped and moaned about you in the hall on the way back to their work-stations?
How would you feel if you had planned on attending a meeting and at the last minute the boss called to move the time?
How can you expect people to follow you if you are leading them astray?
As a leader you are always leading.
Your people watch as you walk into the room. Are you walking confidently? Are your shoulders hunched? Is your expression open or closed? Is there a frown on your face? Or a smile? If you are usually smiling, what does it mean when you are frowning? If you normally don’t greet your coworkers and today you do, what does it mean? Each and everything that you do, or don’t do, has meaning. You have to always think in terms of leadership.
AND IT IS ALWAYS ABOUT THEM!
As a leader you must be constantly aware of what you say and do and what you are not saying and not doing.
That one time where you don’t think anybody is listening is the one time when they will be.
That one time when you don’t think you are being watched is the one time that you will be.
Does this mean you have to be perfect? No. You do have to be constantly aware. You do have to always think in terms of leadership. Everything you do and don’t do leads.
Action Items.
Practice thinking in terms of leadership.
What is my expression saying?
Am I modeling behavior that I would find abhorrent in a follower?
What is my walk telling people?
What is my tone of voice saying or not saying?
I am walking the talk and talking the walk?
Ask your team if you model behaviors you expect from them.
Good Leaders Must Be Good Followers - To learn more about this author, visit John Cameron's Website.
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Michel NerayMichel Neray has over 25 years of experience as an award-winning copywriter, an Internet pioneer, a tradeshow pitchman and a senior sales and marketing executive. An online pioneer, he was one of the first marketing professionals to embrace the Internet by building websites as early as 1993. In 1994, Michel co-authored a book entitled "The Great Crossover: Personal Confidence in the Age of the Microchip", which made it to Jack Canfield's Achiever's Recommended Reading List. Michel founded Portfolios.com in 1995, the world's first online source directory for creative professionals and one of the first websites based on community generated content. Since creating The Essential Message in 2003, Michel has helped thousands of independent professionals and entrepreneurs as well as growing corporations find a better way to differentiate, position and brand themselves. In 2005, his chapter "Everything Starts With A Conversation" was selected as the lead for the book, "Sales Gurus Speak Out" and re-published in 2008 for 'Awakening The Workplace Volume 3'. He is also a co-author of "In the Company of Leaders" (2008) with 40 top North American leadership experts. - Visit Michel Neray's Website |
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 John Cameron (Visit John's Website) Long before he became an energetic and powerful speaker and trainer, John Cameron was a proud member of the 1st of the 509th Airborne Battalion Combat team. Following his military service, he earned a business degree then spent several years working as a stockbroker in Carmel and Sacramento California. Following this, he spent several years in the advertising field, leading his sales team to 37 uninterrupted quarters of growth. When he became a speaker and trainer, John already possessed a wealth of life and workplace experiences to draw upon for his presentations. The result is seminars fraught with strategies and techniques that have been tested and proven to work in the real world. A dynamic, humorous, and entertaining speaker, John Cameron leaves his smiling audiences eager to put his ideas to the test and re-engaged to face all challenges awaiting back on the job.
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