Michael McKinney’s post highlights a 2007 leadership book, Measure of a Leader, wherein “the premise is a new model of leadership that focuses on the behavior of followers,” and he includes five leadership lessons from it that I agree make a lot of sense. However…

Duh! I find the idea that leaders aren’t savvy enough to realize for themselves the need to focus on those they lead, i.e., followers, to be as ridiculous as the need to tell business to focus on what their customers’ desires.

It should be a no-brainer that companies are in business so supply their customers with the specific goods and/or services that they want or need, but it’s rocket science based on the number of companies that get it wrong.

Likewise, it should be a no-brainer that a leader is there to get people to a place or outcome that they want, or have been convinced they want, as opposed to the self-aggrandizement of the leader.

Once again, I’ll quote what is to me the finest leadership ethos around, and probably the oldest.

As for the best leaders,
the people do not notice their existence.
The next best,
the people honor and praise.
The next, the people fear;
and the next, the people hate…
When the best leader’s work is done,
the people say, “We did it ourselves!”
To lead the people, walk behind them.
Lao Tzu

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This entry was posted on Thursday, August 30th, 2007 at 1:39 pm and is filed under About Leadership, Leadership Quotes, Personal Development, Reviews & Recommendations, management. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
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