Follow the leader?

Instead of following the leader, why not 

break the cycle and lead the followers?

 Photo courtesy of: http://www.flickr.com/people/53346708@N07/

Having young children, I always have to be mindful as a parent that my children are constantly watching what I do and how I act in response to things that occur on a daily basis. I have to laugh, as I sometimes catch my two-year-old daughter imitating the way I am standing, or leaning, or crossing my arms.

From young on, we learn to identify people whom we view as a leader, and we follow their example. As children begin to go to school, obviously their teacher and principal are leaders whom they are conditioned to follow.

As we grow older, those roles do not change. Many times, we look to our leadership to provide an example of how the workforce should operate.

Leadership, however, doesn't only have to be exercised from above. Leadership can come from within the workforce, as long as someone is brave enough to do it.

So often, it's easy to live by the "return the favor" model. For example, if you feel that a co-worker had withheld information from you purposely to compromise your integrity or reputation, or you feel that they did something to make you feel bad, the temptation is so high to "return the favor," and do exactly the same thing back to them.

Follow the leader? You bet...This type of vicious cycle of negative and ineffective behaviors can continue as long as the people engaged in it continue to "follow the leader."

How about "leading the followers" for a change? If we are convinced that someone is trying to do something to intentionally harm us, why not try to model positive behavior? Why not consider genuinely complimenting the person when they do something positive or great? Why not openly collaborate and offer resources when you feel they would be helpful for the good of the organization?

By becoming a leader from within, you have the opportunity to break the cycle of negativity. By leading the followers, you stand above the rest as a model for truly positive and effective behaviors.

Who knows? Maybe others, who see the great things you do, will suddenly decide to follow a new leader -- you!

Best wishes,

-Victor