LEAD, FOLLOW or GET OUT of the WAY!
Have you truly listened to what is being said to us? I have seen that particular saying a hundred times and I bet it’s familiar to you. The last time I read the saying it was like seeing it for the first time. LEAD, FOLLOW, OR GET OUT OF THE WAY…. It seemed quite harsh and even a bit discouraging. It sounds like something a really tough drill sergeant might yell at his team and I guess that is why General George Patton is credited with this quote. So I thought to myself…. what would I say if I were to replace this saying with something more positive and on point? Within a second the words came to mind.
LEAD, LIFT AND MODEL…
..to me that is truly what leadership is about. Shall we take a closer look at this?…. What does it mean to LEAD? ~ To lead means to take Responsibility ~ A leader is someone who takes action ~ An effective leader is a point of accountability. How does a Leader LIFT? ~ A leader is an Encourager ~ Empowers others ~ Equips those they lead (preparation and training) How would someone MODEL Leadership? ~ Be the Example– Motivate others through your example how to do something, show them the truth of your actions ~ We lead through our convictions (Steadfast Beliefs) ~ Teach Systems that work… Modeling the process in our daily lives. Step by step “Leadership is lifting a person’s vision to higher sights, the raising of a person’s performance to a higher standard, the building of a personality beyond its normal limitations.” (Peter Drucher)
Are you ready to take the lead in your life and in your business? Take the lead by being focused in your actions, be confident that your actions have purpose and support the identified processes of success, and inspect what you expect in those who call you their leader. “Start with the premise that the function of leadership is to produce more leaders, not more followers.” (Ralph Nader). When you lead, lift, and model exemplary leadership that encourages, inspires others, you’ll find that your followers are becoming leaders through their actions as well.
In a world of discouraging, disheartening, “or else” thinking, may I encourage you to; ‘Lead, Lift and Model’?….. I believe, and have had years of experience affirming, that when we take the lead in our own lives, when we lead lift and model that leadership in our organizations, we grow, our businesses grow and you truly build a life you’ll love.
~Barbara
