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Most people are looking for someone to lead them, whether it’s your baseball team, your non-profit organization or your co-workers.
Sure it comes natural for some, but being a leader isn’t easy. And just because you’re barking orders, the team captain or the boss doesn’t necessarily mean you’re a leader.
The best leaders lead by example. As a result they earn two important things: trust and respect.
The coach that tells the team to run 3 miles, and then heads up the lead pack. The middle manager who comes early, stays late, and does a lot more than delegate. The Race for Relief volunteer who refuses to take no for an answer until they meet their goals. These are leaders, they’ve earned the right to be part of the team.
When I was a freshman in college one of the seniors routinely barked out orders. “FRESHMAN! Get the rakes and get your asses in gear so we can get out of here and go to dinner.”
At some point you stop responding to that.
Another senior comes up to me. He has two rakes. He puts his arm over my shoulder, the rake in front of me. “You know what would be great Stephens? If you raked the other half of this baseline for me so we can hit the showers and get to the cafeteria before it closes.”
He never had to ask again. He didn’t pack his bag and spit seeds watching my precision with the rake. He was right alongside me.
Being a good leader is more than just a title. You also have to be a part of the team.
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Comments
04.27.09
I disagree. Bill Belichick isn't out there doing wind sprints or tackle drills with his players. I am guessing the respect he has from his players and across the league for his leadership isn't at question because of it.
This whole philosophy is how climbing the corporate ladder became such a travesty. You can't lead smartly, hire great people and delegate appropriately. You have to stay until 5:30pm. Then your boss has to stay until 6:00pm and so on until you have a CEO on cocaine or committing suicide because the stress of "leading by example" has him working more hours than anyone else.
The best leaders know their strengths, know when to get involved, when to stay out of the fray and most importantly, when to check out of work for sanity's sake. Sometimes watching your kid's soccer game is more important than babysitting a project to completion just because a few employee's may (errantly) feel like she isn't a part of the team.
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