Lead, Follow, Or Get the F*@K Out of the Way
There are two kinds of leaders. Those who want to lead (True Leaders) and those who want to be followed (False Leaders). The True Leaders get things done for the organization. The False Leaders just want people to follow them and are only working to keep their resume clean.
You will work WITH the True Leader. But you will work FOR the False Leader.
Working with a True Leader is sometimes difficult, though the end result of the work is that everyone shares in the wealth. The False Leader may be “fun” to work for … but in the end, they get the largest percentage of the cheese and all of the acclaim. You’re just part of the furniture.
A True Leader will “take the bullets” for the people who work with him as the organization goes through its growing pains. The False Leader will make sure everyone knows that the issues that are occurring are not theirs, but the problem is YOU … not them … but YOU!
We’ve all worked with both types of leaders. Which one did you prefer working with or for? Under which leadership style did you find the most success? The most satisfaction?
I don’t know about you, but I love to work “with” and not “for” someone. You can tell how they think of you when they introduce you … “This is Jane Doe; she works FOR me.” Wouldn’t you rather be introduced as, “This is Jane Doe; she works WITH me.”?
Totally different spin. If I hear that someone works “for” someone then they are just part of the machine. If they work “with” them they are shoulder to shoulder with the top people in the company, that they have a say in how this organization is run.
All of my former assistants, and present members of Move or Die, LLC work WITH me. I couldn’t do what I am doing now, and I couldn’t have done what I did in the past without my people. I worked in a “Jimmy Johnson”, former Super Bowl champion of the Dallas Cowboys, capacity. Coach Johnson understood his “crayons” (skills) and so he surrounded himself with people who had different and bigger boxes of ‘crayons’ so that they would add to the organization that he had in his mind.
I did the same thing. I found people who added to the program. Were loyal, hardworking people who were all competitors.
As a head strength coach, we were able to win three national championships in football but my assistants also worked with Olympic sports teams that would win 13 national championships.
I am proud of all the success that we were able to help along their paths. I felt that my leadership qualities had bled to my staff. Work hard, be specific with the training, and motivate the athletes to take a partnership in the process so that everyone’s goals could be met.
