Great Leaders Need to Learn How to Follow

Author: John Cameron

Are you ready to lead?  Good Leaders know they have to learn to be good followers first.

Joe and Lester, two directors in the organization, left the meeting with the Senior Vice President. They 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 Don Giovanni's now?"

Joe, "Great idea. I am starving. Oh, hold on. I had a staff meeting scheduled in twenty minutes. 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 to attend a meeting and, at the last minute, someone 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 every thing 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/Activity Triggers

1.Remind yourself on the way to work and at least once each hour that you are always leading.

2.Be aware of what your expression is saying.

3.Are you modeling behavior you would find abhorrent in a follower?

4.What is your body language and walk telling people?

5.What is your tone of voice saying or not saying?

6.Ask your team if you model behaviors you expect from them.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/leadership-articles/great-leaders-need-to-learn-how-to-follow-6120364.html

About the Author

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 before spending several years working as a stockbroker in Carmel and Sacramento California. He then spent several years in the advertising field, leading his ever growing teams to 37 uninterrupted quarters of growth. During this time he was project manager for implementation of a completely new advertising system.  He maintained growth and created savings of $750 K a year-without sacrificing people.  

Combine John's actual businees experice with his time as a top trainer for major national training organizations and the result is training  packed with strategies and techniques that have been tested and proven to work in the real world. A dynamic and entertaining speaker, John Cameron leaves his laughing audiences eager to put his ideas to the test and re-engaged to face all challenges awaiting back on the job.