Follow the Leader
Back when we were kids, playing Follow the Leader was easy: one person was the leader and the posse of neighborhood children followed and mimicked everything the leader did. If the leader hopped, we hopped, if the leader twirled, we twirled, if the leader ran, we ran. If only it was so easy today to become the leader that people follow in life and work!
A lot has been written about leadership from the point of view of leaders – analyzing what they do, how they behave, their tips, tricks, and techniques for getting stuff done. But it wasn’t until the Gallup organization asked tens of thousands of followers two simple questions that we had a compelling model for how followers want to be led:
What leader has the most positive influence in your daily life?
What three words best describe what this person contributes to your life?
In the book Strengths Based Leadership (Gallup Press, 2008), Tom Rath analyzes the results of the research and shares four qualities that inspire followers: trust, compassion, stability, and hope. The challenge for those who lead, whether at home, in our communities, or at our jobs, is this: how do we personally embody and express these four qualities in ways that will inspire others to follow us?
Ask yourself the questions that Gallup asked. Think about the leader you choose. What does he or she do, precisely, to positively influence your life? Then think about you, your role, what’s authentic for you, and how you can begin to consciously build your capacity to inspire your followers. What can you do in your role to build trust? How will you demonstrate compassion? What will you do to provide stability? And how will you behave to inspire hope?
Here are a few simple ideas to try out.
To Build Trust:
Be authentic
Treat others with respect
Invest in relationships
To Show Compassion:
Express caring
Champion policies that support well-being
Acknowledge others
To Provide Stability:
Demonstrate consistency
Be transparent and share information
Make your priorities clear
To Inspire Hope:
Maintain and share a positive outlook
Express enthusiasm for the future
Frame challenges as opportunities
Consciously working to be the leader that people want to follow may be the most important commitment you make this year. Now, let’s go out and play!