Best of MFP: Leadership: Not for Followers.

Are those who are labeled “Leaders” truly leaders, or do they follow?

Following the Lead of the Followers

There are many people in leadership positions, who have achieved that rank through their ability to implement their superiors’ decisions. In the act of doing so, these people demonstrate their ability to do what is required of them, and do it well. It’s hard to say this is leadership, however, when the ideas, direction and destination have been determined by someone else.

The end result is that there are many people who achieve “Leadership” status by following orders. They don’t truly know how to inspire, coach, mentor, guide, innovate or truly lead, however, leading to the crisis of leadership that is present in so many organizations. To lead is to go in a new direction and gain the support of others to continue on in that same direction. With that in mind, I’d like to offer this statement for those who believe themselves to be leaders:

Standing at the front of the line does not make one a leader. Leadership must be, to some degree, the art of dissent. Only by challenging the conventional and approved, and convincing others to do the same, can one truly be deemed a leader. To merely be the first to get in line and have others walk behind you, in a direction determined by someone else, is not the act of leading. It is, rather, an indication that one has achieved nothing more than being the first to follow.

If your job is simply to walk in front of the band, to the tempo, melody, arrangement, choreography, and direction determined by someone else, are you leading…..or following?

About the author David M. Kasprzak

I am a seasoned project and management analyst with over 14 years of experience as a trusted advisor to all levels on planning, measuring and analyzing activities. From small-scale internal projects to multi-year development efforts supporting enterprise-wide initiatives at the C-level, I “get geeky” seeing great management practices yield great outcomes. I am a fierce & vocal advocate for learning, collaborative approaches to work and pursuing Operational Excellence through challenging the status quo and fostering management innovation

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http://twitter.com/Leadershipfreak Dan Rockwell

David,

Thanks for your post. I love the idea of “the art of dissent.”

Thanks for pointing me to your blog.

Leadership Freak
Dan Rockwell
http://myflexiblepencil.com David M. Kasprzak

Thanks, Dan! I came up with that thought years ago while working with some folks whose concept of leadership was simply making sure everyone did what the Big Boss wanted….even if they disagreed with it. I wrote it down and stuck it on the wall. Glad to see that I'm not the only one thinking this way.

Thanks again for all your support. It's HUGE.
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