Follow the leader

It’s been so ingrained in us since we were lining up after recess.

Do what you’re told. Keep your head down. Follow the simple step of instructions. (And hey, we will reward you with an A, and maybe someday, a paycheck.)

After a while, it’s easy to think the person upfront giving the directions, the boss who has been in the office for 30+ years of experience is actually leading.

But that couldn’t be further from the truth.

Experience or title doesn’t equate to strong leadership. They have as much in common as fish and money.

Leadership is measured in initiation. It’s measured by ruckus you make—how you managed to color outside the lines. Leadership is about taking us to the places we want to go, making things we want to see.

Leadership isn’t about being told what to do next. It isn’t about following the map but creating your own path with a compass.

The greatest leader we know and remember is the person who went on a limb and connected with us. Impossible to do following the person in front of us.