True leaders create leaders, not followers

Some people think that leaders need followers. But we disagree. 

We believe that:

True leaders create leaders, not followers.

When times are stable, having an organisation under the direction of one individual or a small leadership team can bring focus and momentum. It enables the organisation to become a supertanker: all its resources moving at the same speed, in the same direction, and all controlled by a single hand on the wheel.

But when times are churning, the ability to adapt becomes key. Now an organisation filled with followers finds its ability to change is limited by the capacity of the leader or leadership team to adapt. And no one has the time or knowledge to find the best solution to every issue.

In a time of change, a leader who creates followers becomes a bottleneck, choking the ability of the organisation to adapt.

But a leader who teaches people to lead themselves increases the ability of each individual to handle change. That increases the ability of the organisation to handle change. And a leader who becomes antifragile, and teaches others to become antifragile, makes the whole organisation antifragile: able to use change to become stronger and more valuable.

A leader who creates more leaders turns the organisation from a supertanker into a fleet of speedboats: each powered by their own inspiration and enthusiasm, all aligned around their shared purpose and direction, and yet each able to dodge and swerve obstacles and pursue the opportunities that arise, without needing constant guidance from the bridge.

In a time of change, leaders who create more leaders expand the capacity of their organisation to adapt, making it stronger and more valuable. 

Do the people around you encourage you to lead yourself? What do you encourage in others? Six months from now will it be more useful or less useful to be among people who don’t simply follow but can lead themselves to do what needs to be done? What are you doing to prepare for that future?

Adapted from Inner Leadership: a framework and tools for building inspiration in times of change.

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(And remember: you can’t learn to swim just by reading about swimming, you also need to do the practice.)

Photo By Aramis Funkographer via StockPholio.net