I began the week with a focus on following; reading and learning about
the subject, how it's done well, not so well, the-good-the-bad-the-
ugly, and just literally what it is.
The week is ending with pondering all the same, but from more of a
perspective of how well I followed. And was followed.
The box needs improvement on both. While some would say I've followed well, I say it has been quite blind and not near courageous enough.
To that end...
Showing posts with label follower. Show all posts
Showing posts with label follower. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Essential Leadership Discipline: Following Well
Following Well simply has to be an Essential Leadership Discipline, and what my reading so much has to do with both.
I read more than the average person and naturally run across very little about following. By little I mean almost never. In the last year, and I keep up with stuff like this, I've only ran across about following in LindedIn (one article) and the Bible. Nothing else, yet without followers, without following, without following done well we can't have good leadership.
The first time I remember reading anything of substance, written by man, about following was in a discussion on LinkedIn http://tiny.cc/gMgQM. This discussion, in May of this year, led me to the article mentioned in the discussion, that led me to the book http://tiny.cc/2YWMV.
Now, I've researched and found some other things written about following and Ira Chaleff, Courageous Follower, has written and lectured extensively about the subject. Yet, and I know I'm grinding an ax, what is up with leadership leaders not talking about and writing about it?
Having said all that, maybe this is just another blind spot I've got. But one thing I do know, following well is not something that comes easy and everyday I hear someone talk about being a good leader, or developing leadership, or some such very important discipline. Yet....
Ponder the thought of how well people follow you. Think about how important it is to follow well. You can find more on "following" by yping "follow" in the search for this blog.
Read Well, Follow Well, Lead Well
I read more than the average person and naturally run across very little about following. By little I mean almost never. In the last year, and I keep up with stuff like this, I've only ran across about following in LindedIn (one article) and the Bible. Nothing else, yet without followers, without following, without following done well we can't have good leadership.
The first time I remember reading anything of substance, written by man, about following was in a discussion on LinkedIn http://tiny.cc/gMgQM. This discussion, in May of this year, led me to the article mentioned in the discussion, that led me to the book http://tiny.cc/2YWMV.
Now, I've researched and found some other things written about following and Ira Chaleff, Courageous Follower, has written and lectured extensively about the subject. Yet, and I know I'm grinding an ax, what is up with leadership leaders not talking about and writing about it?
Having said all that, maybe this is just another blind spot I've got. But one thing I do know, following well is not something that comes easy and everyday I hear someone talk about being a good leader, or developing leadership, or some such very important discipline. Yet....
Ponder the thought of how well people follow you. Think about how important it is to follow well. You can find more on "following" by yping "follow" in the search for this blog.
Read Well, Follow Well, Lead Well
Thursday, October 1, 2009
To Trust, To Follow
To trust another person, doesn't that mean you have to follow well? Don't you need to be a good follower? Don't you need to be followed well?
Hmmm. Something to be pondering.
Hmmm. Something to be pondering.
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Follow First
I continue to search out what it means to follow and yet, I find out more about leading that leads me back to being a better follower. And the loop continues...more of that robust evaluation and correction!
Through following I'm becoming more patient and I find that while I'm practicing patience others around me are grasping a better hold of their responsibilities. Yet, most of these that I'm following are subordinates on the org chart. And that's a good thing. Waiting, allowing others to lead has been refreshing, even a bit nerve racking!
I can see where many problems have stemmed from; people don't know how to follow. Or, at the least, they don't know how to be a good follower (Ira would say "they don't know how to be a Courageous Follower). Now, to have had more courageous followers like Cathy Smith in the past...today's results would have been much better.
Much of following has to do with behavior and if practicing Smart Trust has taught me anything it has taught me how to me watchfull of my followers' agendas and motives; which are played out in their behavior. Specifically, I've learned to look for passive-agressive natures. It's refreshing to have people like Carrie Hartwell that walk their talk. People like that are easy to trust; they allow themselves to be held accountable and their behavior matches up with their agendas.
So, slowly I practice the discipline of Following; learning what it means to be a good follower; a courageous follower; a follower that is working to make the best of where he is; getting good results of the box.
And hopefully that leads me to becoming a better leader; learning through change.
To that end...
Through following I'm becoming more patient and I find that while I'm practicing patience others around me are grasping a better hold of their responsibilities. Yet, most of these that I'm following are subordinates on the org chart. And that's a good thing. Waiting, allowing others to lead has been refreshing, even a bit nerve racking!
I can see where many problems have stemmed from; people don't know how to follow. Or, at the least, they don't know how to be a good follower (Ira would say "they don't know how to be a Courageous Follower). Now, to have had more courageous followers like Cathy Smith in the past...today's results would have been much better.
Much of following has to do with behavior and if practicing Smart Trust has taught me anything it has taught me how to me watchfull of my followers' agendas and motives; which are played out in their behavior. Specifically, I've learned to look for passive-agressive natures. It's refreshing to have people like Carrie Hartwell that walk their talk. People like that are easy to trust; they allow themselves to be held accountable and their behavior matches up with their agendas.
So, slowly I practice the discipline of Following; learning what it means to be a good follower; a courageous follower; a follower that is working to make the best of where he is; getting good results of the box.
And hopefully that leads me to becoming a better leader; learning through change.
To that end...
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Courageous Follower: Taking Action
A leader leading leader is not the only one leading. A leader leading leader attracts people that follow and lead well and empowers both to take action.
Courageous Follower: pg 35 - "leaders want their staff to assume more responsibilty, initiate ideas, and take action of their own."
Some positive examples this week of a leader leading leader; Curtis staying after me for a meeting (it took 2 tries to get me in the meeting) about settings on a new piece of software that we're trying to implement, Jamie going beyond her normal responsibilities to get a problem fixed, and Austen developing a new market awareness program.
This is type of work that energizes a leader and leave him refreshed at the end of a hard day instead of worn down.
We must all learn to do the job we're hired to do and accept that the job is not all laid out on a policy or a checklist. We have to think and take action; ask questions, insure we have the knowledge and keep asking ourselves and others questions until we do.
Don't be the weakest link, take action and be a leader leading leader.
Follow well.
Courageous Follower: pg 35 - "leaders want their staff to assume more responsibilty, initiate ideas, and take action of their own."
Some positive examples this week of a leader leading leader; Curtis staying after me for a meeting (it took 2 tries to get me in the meeting) about settings on a new piece of software that we're trying to implement, Jamie going beyond her normal responsibilities to get a problem fixed, and Austen developing a new market awareness program.
This is type of work that energizes a leader and leave him refreshed at the end of a hard day instead of worn down.
We must all learn to do the job we're hired to do and accept that the job is not all laid out on a policy or a checklist. We have to think and take action; ask questions, insure we have the knowledge and keep asking ourselves and others questions until we do.
Don't be the weakest link, take action and be a leader leading leader.
Follow well.
Friday, June 12, 2009
Leading and Following is HARD
Leading AND following is difficult, if not just down right hard...yes, it is HARD, when the box is undefined.
Learning from the past tells me that I have to have procedures written down and then I have to use those procedures to make the changes that comes from the learning from the past.
So...
1. write the procedure
2. get everyone involved to acknowledge the procedure
3. talk about the procedure
4. live the procedure out by holding people accountable to the procedure
5. evaluate the the procedure on a passive and aggressive basis
6. be prepared to correct the procedure (start at #1 again)
7. keep the robust evaluation and correction going
This defines the box and allows leading and following to live well.
Learning from the past tells me that I have to have procedures written down and then I have to use those procedures to make the changes that comes from the learning from the past.
So...
1. write the procedure
2. get everyone involved to acknowledge the procedure
3. talk about the procedure
4. live the procedure out by holding people accountable to the procedure
5. evaluate the the procedure on a passive and aggressive basis
6. be prepared to correct the procedure (start at #1 again)
7. keep the robust evaluation and correction going
This defines the box and allows leading and following to live well.
Monday, May 25, 2009
Following Well: Peter....and not so well
The largest part of my study the past 4 months has been on Peter; the New Testament book and the man who wrote it.
Peter is a great example of someone that's willing to do his calling poorly until he learned to do it well. Originally a follower of John the Baptist, his brother Andrew led him to Jesus where he both embarrassed and distinguished his role.
Peter followed well because he was not detered by set backs (like denying Christ), but collected himself and continued to strive for the vision. He reached for the prize.
To that end.....
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