MM#37--Leadership week #4--What Does Right Look Like?

Hello I’m David and welcome back another MOJO Minute and to leadership week where each day this week we are breaking down great nuggets of wisdom all surrounding leadership. 

I hope you are enjoying these leadership MOJO minutes.

By far it was the most requested feedback I received during the first month of the podcast.  

We have CEO’s that listen to the podcast

We have attorneys and small and mid size business owners that listen.

And doctors and dentists.  

Stay at home moms 

But of all feedback, most people wanted me to cover leadership books and to drill down to those nuggets of wisdom.

So with that let me go to this quote

“To be a good leader, first be a good follower. Leadership is not about shouting orders. Leadership requires discipline, dedication, and, most importantly, obedience. All teams require obedience. The best leaders are great followers; some of the worst leaders and tyrants are people who cannot follow anyone. No one should be allowed to give orders who cannot obey orders.” 

~ John Antal in 7 Leadership lessons of D-Day:  Lessons from the Longest Day, June 6th, 1944

Almost everyone aspires to be in leadership but usually one of the basic and easiest steps that is overlooked in the process of becoming a leader is learning how to be a good follower.

It seems obvious doesn’t it but most times it is overlooked along the path.

As John Quincy Adams remarked “if you actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.”

Almost everyone can be a leader.   Most don’t believe themselves to be leaders or in the position of leadership but many more people are actually leaders no matter where they are at in the business organizational chart.  

Leaders lead where they are at.

And as we just learned the best leaders are also the best followers.   

And to make sure we clearly define this aspect, we are not talking about being a blind follower.   Much like a puppy dog tagging along the journey, but a genuine authentic follower in the group.   

Obviously no matter your position, you wouldn’t follow any leader in anything illegal, unethical or immoral.  

Napoleon once said, “that if a subordinate leader executes a mission he knows is wrong, then the subordinate leader is culpable”. 

Thats a great mini nugget of leadership wisdom there.

One of the greatest leadership lessons I was shown was while in high school as a grocery store bag boy.

Mopping the floors in the bathroom.   My manager was watching me mop the floors and he asked, “have you ever mopped a floor?”   To which i replied, “sure”. Obviously hiding my ignorance on the proper ways to mop a floor.  

He said, if you dont mind, I would love to show you some other ways you might NOT have seen before.  Sometimes these are more effective and can help you out.

He then proceeded to show me what right looks like

And a huge light bulb went off in my head and I gained a ton of confidence after that quick demonstration and then knew if ever asked again, to mop any floors, I would have the right technique and would be able to do a good job.

As a leader you might be above the folks you are leading on the organizational chart but you are not actually superior to them.  Leaders must respect everyone.  It also means that showing what right looks like no matter how small or menial is part of being a great leader.

Now there is a dichotomy to showing what right looks like?  

But we will talk about that tomorrow....

In Summary and in todays MOJO minute leadership lesson

Can you show the people you lead what right looks like without being overbearing?  

Practically what are all the steps involved in doing the job or task right, what does right looks like?  

Are you able to teach this?  

If you don't know are you willing to learn from those that do know?  

These are micro views of your leadership.

And part of being a good leader and a good follower.

Then on the macro view as your job as a leader.

are you willing to grow as a leader and a follower 

so that you can perform your tasks competently, and most importantly effectively 

all the while understanding where you can help your team succeed at their jobs with the highest level of effectiveness to complete the mission? 

Today, let us, you and me, lead where we are at 

to make a better a world for those around us.

Lets us lead well (and follow well) today and everyday and be sure to come back tomorrow for another MOJO Leadership minute.   

Lets go MOJO