Don’t Follow Leaders…
Restored from the Empower Network archive (2011–2017), lightly edited to meet our current advertising standards. Views are the original author’s.
Overture:
Don’t follow leaders – watch the parking meters
YES YES YES YES YES
Don’t follow leaders – watch the parking meters
Huh?
Don’t follow leaders – watch the parking meters
Bob Dylan said that
But, you say, Have you gone Mad, Mister Peter?
Isn’t leadership important?
To which I answer:
Yes it is – but many get the concept of leadership and that of management confused. They think of them as being interchangeable.
Yes it is – but many who nominate themselves as “leaders” have no followers – as in they have no traits such that people would aspire to be like them
Yes it is.
How many well-intentioned people have fallen prey to the self-serving ‘come-ons’ of the false prophets masquerading as leaders who proliferate on the internet, and in society-at-large, today?
Think About It…..
So, as I see it, I think that what Dylan was cautioning against was…
Blind leadership.
Leadership of the blind, by the blind is bad enough.
Leadership of the blind, by those with malicious or predominantly self-serving intent?
There’s a special room in Hell reserved for those who practice such leadership…
So just for today, for your contemplation, dear reader,
I thought to set down some qualities of good leaders I have known personally
How about that they:
- Have a purpose much greater than themselves
- Create a vision for their followers
- Create ‘alone time’ where they are not reachable
- Create a ‘safe zone’ for others to make ‘mistake’ in
- Take time to relate to people as individuals by showing they care
- …..
I invite you to make your additions to this list in the comments section below this post…
You don’t know who you will be helping by sharing wisdom from your experience
What about non-leaders who anointed themselves or were put into leadership positions.
Do they:
- Take glory, delegate blame
- micromanage
- use people as a tool to reach their goals
- work on the whats without communicating the whys
- …
Again, I invite you to make your additions to this list in the comments section below this post…
Again, you don’t know who you will be helping by sharing wisdom from your experience
Why must you do this?
Because… someone is watching you and imitating you
Because… as a fellow empowerer our mission is to push up people by letting others learn from OUR experience
Because… we are all called to be, in the words of Saint Matthew, a light on the hill
BE-CAUSE
It is , truly, that simple, and…
YOU
ARE
SO
WORTH
IT
In Freedom, Strength and Honor, I remain!
Your Empowered Friend
Peter