Comments on: You Will Lead the Same Way You Follow, So Be Careful How You Follow

By: Bret L. Simmons

Bret L. Simmons — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 13:29:42 +0000

Don, that is a great analogy of leadership being like a dance. I would encourage others to read your post. Thanks!!! Bret

By: Bret L. Simmons

Bret L. Simmons — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 13:28:02 +0000

Wow, that was very kind of you! Love your post. Thanks!! Bret

By: [Charlene]

[Charlene] — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 12:56:35 +0000

Bret, I was so jazzed by your post that I blogged on your topic and embedded your video blog post.

http://blog.crowinfodesign.com/2009/11/17/leadership-vs-follower-styles/

Thanks again for the inspiration.

By: Don Frederiksen

Don Frederiksen — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 11:26:40 +0000

Nice post that reminds my to monitor my follower approach. I have also written that the transition between following and leading is like a dance where you step between roles. Your post reminded me of the analogy. My additional takeaway is, "watch how you follow." Thanks for the insight.

By: Bret L. Simmons

Bret L. Simmons — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:41:50 +0000

Good for you that you can see your opportunities for improvement! GREAT that you trust them, but don’t get to busy to ensure they know that you really care about them – or they will not fully trust you. Don’t take their suggestions as tasks for you to complete. View yourself as their resource, there to enable them to take autonomous action to implement the suggestions themselves. I bet you are a great leader, Ghennipher! Thanks, Bret

By: Ghennipher Weeks

Ghennipher Weeks — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 23:56:43 +0000

Thanks so much for the reply.

I’m very approachable and my followers do come to me with complaints, but I’m often very busy and trust them to be intelligent enough to handle a lot of them on their own. I always ask for improvement from them, but I seldom get the kind of honest feedback I’d like. I need to do some things differently to get them to come to me with suggestions about my own leadership and practices, and offers to implement them.

By: Bret L. Simmons

Bret L. Simmons — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 23:32:31 +0000

Welcome, Gennipher! I think it is way cool that someone that has been in business for herself since 18 can still be driving to improve her leadership skills. Without the right mindset, improvement is almost impossible, and you seem to have the right mindset.

I actually have a similar problem to the one you describe. For me it is a personality issue and I suspect it may be the same for you. But as a leader you want your followers to keep their enthusiasm for the ideas they bring to you, so you need to model the same for them. Do your followers come to you with complaints? I hope so. Do they come with suggestions for improvement? Even better. Do they come with offers to help implement their suggestions? That is what you really want.

Thanks!!

Bret

By: Ghennipher Weeks

Ghennipher Weeks — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 19:27:34 +0000

I really enjoyed this article – thank you!

I’ve been in business for myself since I was 18, but I definitely see lags in my leadership skills along the way – mostly in terms of effortlessly generating initial enthusiasm around a project, but not being able to sustain it over time.

Where does that fit into your follower/leader scale?

By: Bret L. Simmons

Bret L. Simmons — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 18:24:54 +0000

The key to partnership, Pam, is a focus on process and procedures. Partners offer purposeful challenge and they also offer solutions. So true it can be lonley, but you know you are doing the right thing. Be encouraged! Thanks for sharing! Bret

By: Pam

Pam — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 17:42:25 +0000

You article gave me a new insight as to why I feel 180 degrees out of sync with the others I work with. I am obviously a partner follower since I am always looking to finding inovative ways to improve our procedures and processes and challenging the status quo with leaders but it is often a lonely place to be.