Leading and Following

One of the many skills of an adept leader is knowing how and when to change the role you are filling in any given moment. There is no one way to lead, and there is no one position to take. Jocko Willink and Leif Babin write about this extensively in The Dichotomy of Leadership from there time leading battle platoons in Iraq to consulting with companies now.

One quality of a leader is knowing when to lead, and when to follow. This may change based on the group you are in, or the event taking place. When in a meeting with higher ranking personnel, typically this is a time to be more of a follower. When you are the highest ranking member, then that is usually the time for you to take the reigns. But not always.

In the first situation, when it is your time to report out do it with confidence, and show the others in the room that you are in fact in charge. When an idea is being discussed and you know you can contribute, do so in a strong but humble manner. Let the others in the room know you belong, but be willing to step back when the cues in the room show that your contribution has been made. Then when tasks are assigned, be willing to step in and be point on parts of the project.

When it is a meeting you are running, set the agenda and set the tone. If you are purely disseminating information, the first thing to think of is did you really need to hold that meeting. Could an email or video message sufficed for people to absorb on their own? If it was necessary to simply tell your team information, then there really is not a part to step back and follow. But, if it is a meeting where your team is going to be collaborating on an idea, get them going and then let the team take over.

Step back and let ideas flow in. Intercede only when needed to prompt further ideas, or get those who are less involved engaged in the meeting. When the time comes, jump back and summarize what you are hearing. Create the action plan, assign roles and jobs to the team, and create a plan for follow up. Empowering your team in this way is leading them, allowing them to take ownership of the ideas and therefore have a higher likelihood of follow through, and allowing your team to improve its productivity.

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