A young woman was filling out an application for college when she
came across the question: Are you a leader? She thought she had
better be brutally honest, so she answered, "No." She was convinced
when she sent the application in that she'd never hear from them
because of that answer.
But she received a letter back from the school that read: "We have
reviewed numerous applications and, to date, there will be some 1,452
new leaders attending school next year. We have decided to accept
your application because we felt it was imperative that they have at
least one follower."
One man bought a sign and put it on his office door. The sign read:
"I'm the boss." The next day he came to work he noticed that someone
had put a post-it on his sign that said, "Your wife called. She wants
her sign back."
We can't all be the boss. And what good are leaders without
followers? In actuality, we need to be both.
Sometimes we lead, sometimes we follow. We lead by example, but we
still follow role models. We lead by sharing our expertise, but we
remain open to the wisdom of others.
There are numerous courses and lessons on leadership. Yet the best
leaders are also excellent followers. They know how to listen, they
respect and follow great ideas from those around them, and they are
humble enough to seek help when it's needed.
You may be the boss, but do you know how to follow? This world could
use a few good followers.
Steve Gooder
