Follow me...Follow you?

(Another guest columnist that will be publishing a series of post for us to think about and discuss)

Editor's favorite quote on Leadership - "The Key To Successful Leadership Is Influence, Not Authority."

The Leader Always Sets the Trail for Others to Follow

Leadership 101:

Since my departure on injury leave, (I look forward to my return shortly), I have heard from many of you on how different the people who have been filling in for me have operated—not anything negatively just different. This is a compliment to me since one thing I strive for is consistency. I have taken from all these comments that if I am nothing else, I am consistent. Consistency is what I want to share with you all in this entry. As most of you know, “Leadership” is nothing more or less than “Influence.” Both mine and your ability to lead is simply based upon our ability to influence others.

In order to influence others, you must have host of different personal skills and traits. Integrity, operational skills, dependability, consistency will ultimately speak to others that “I can be followed.” Consistency is ONLY built over time—DUH! But think about this, if you as a person are happy and joyful today and tomorrow you are nasty and disrespectful, how will people view you? Well if this is the first time it happens, everyone says you are having a bad day. If this is everyday, then your people will quickly find a place to hide from you.

I know, I know,--DUH! But think now of how we apply policies and rules. If today, you are completely and utterly strict without grace or mercy, and tomorrow you could not even care if people show up to work, then what does this do for your people. Obviously they will struggle under this kind of leadership. What is amazing to me is that when I think back to the best teachers I had in school—it was the strict ones that were the best. They held me to a higher standard and I rose to the challenge. They became to me someone I wanted to follow and trust.

While I am not saying that you need to be strict in your leadership style, I am saying you must be consistent in how you operate. The more consistent you are in enforcing policies and rules, the more people will respect you—even if they do not agree with you. People want someone who can be trusted and will cause them to grow. Consistency is the easiest method of ensuring both trust and the environment where growth can happen. Whatever you do—Do it with Greatness!

Looking forward to being back in the seat—Larry Everett (Batt.5 “A” Shift)