Leading So People Will Follow (2012) by Erika Andersen
"We want good leaders. We crave good leaders. We're hungry for good,
worthy, followable leaders in every part of our lives," writes Erika
Andersen, a leadership coach and founder of Proteus
International and popular Forbes
blogger. "We have a deeply wired-in
need for leaders who will guide us well and safely; who care more about the
success of the enterprise than about their comfort; who call out our best and
take full advantage of who we are. And we long to be that kind of leader as
well – to evoke that ‘I'm with you – let's go!' response from those who work
with and for us." In short, this book is about how to be a truly
"followable" leader, one
who can build, sustain and grow strong teams and companies in the ever-changing
environment today.
I thanks Pustaka Negeri
Sarawak, state library, for making this book available for me to borrow. This
book is simple, easy to read, very instructive and although no new core lessons
that I learned, I find that Erika's examples and the applications part are very
helpful and valuable (there are Try It
section in most chapters). I also love how Erika used the examples of
not-so-well-known leaders in this book. I can connect with them as oppose to
larger-than-life-kind of leaders. Erika is very creative because she links how
humans are so fascinated with folktales and "what to look for and accept in those who lead our day-to-day."
She writes her own short folktale story, studies hundreds of leader stories and
shows to the readers how The Six (6) Leadership Key Attributes
can make one be the kind of leader whom others would follow. A followable
leader is:
#1 FARSIGHTED.
To be a far-sight leader is to "envision
a possible future that responds to and resonates with people's aspirations for
their individual and collective success." Leaders who are farsighted
see possible futures that are good for the team and company; able to articulate
the vision in a compelling and inclusive way ("we" instead of "I"
and with confidence); model their vision by live it; see past obstacles by being
realistic but don't allow those obstacles to overwhelm them; and have the power
of persuasion to invite others to participate in the vision. If everyone knows
their missions, everyone is committed.
#2 PASSIONATE.
Why do we want to follow a passionate leader? Because we want to feel that he
or she will stick with us. It inspires loyalty. That's why I think passion is
very important for a leader. Leaders who are passionate commit honestly; make a
clear case without being dogmatic; invite real dialogue about their passion
with openness; act in support of their passion, they walk the talk; and stay
committed despite adversity and setbacks. "When
difficulties arise, passionate leaders hold to their principles and find a way
forward," write Erika.
#3 COURAGEOUS.
Erika observes, "People need
courageous leaders to know that someone will make the tough calls and take
responsibility for them." If not, "people
feel as though they need to protect themselves." That's not good.
courageous leaders make necessary, tough choices; put themselves at risk for
the good of the team and company even when it may threaten their success; do
things that are personally difficult, uncomfortable or frightening; take
responsibility for their actions (this is a must!); and admit mistakes and
apologize when they are in the wrong.
#4 WISE.
The quality of wisdom balances the forward motion of farsightedness, passion
and courage. Erika mentions, "When
leaders are wise, we see that they're considering our welfare and that they'll
do their best to make sure that the enterprise succeeds in a way that supports
the success of the greatest possible number of us, their followers."
Wise leaders are deeply curious, they listen not just to understand but to
empathize; they assess situations objectively and as accurate as possible (in
Erika's term "fair witness");
they reflect on and learn from their experiences especially their failures; see
patterns and share their insights with others; and act based on what they
believe is morally right (on morality, Erika points that leaders "are clear about their moral code, and
they live by it." Mostly refers to ethics and common sense morality).
#5 GENEROUS.
To be a generous leader, Erika points out that it is more than just being
generous in the general term but also, especially "with power." This is a much-needed attribute for leaders
today. Thank you, Erika, for emphasized on this side of leadership! Leaders who
display this attribute assume positive intent in others, think good of others
unless can be proven otherwise; they share power and authority by giving more
autonomy, influence, responsibility and support; they share what they know –
the information, knowledge and resources – needed for the job and for others to
succeed; and they are generous in giving credit, praise and reward.
#6 TRUSTWORTHY.
Trust is the bottom line. Period. I would like to recommend a book by Stephen
M. R. Covey, The Speed of Trust on
this subject, why character and competence are very important for leaders to
gain trust from others. Erika sees the crucial importance of trust when she
writes, "We may follow a leader who
lacks farsightedness or wisdom if we sense that he or she is working to develop
that attribute, but we hesitate to commit to any leader we can't trust."
True. Trustworthy leaders tell the truth as they understand it; do what they
say they will do; keep confidences and very vigorous about discretion; speak
and act for the greater good with integrity; and are capable to get results
because of their skills and experience to do the job, competent.
For the last two chapters,
Erika suggests that we should get help from others or to use her chapter title,
get "Friends for the Journey."
Why? Because leadership is about the
survival of the whole, it's about people. Being an effective leader not only
requires the support OF others; it requires support FROM others.
Wow, thanks, Erika Andersen!
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