First Be a Good Follower
To become a truly capable leader, you must master the art of being a good follower first.
That may seem paradoxical, but it is a critical initial step on the path to effective leadership.
Let me explain…
Follow First, Lead Later
You have an innate human instinct to want to understand the "why" behind things. You desperately desire to comprehend the full rationale and bigger picture context. And in our society, questioning and curiosity are often celebrated traits.
However, those impulses must be kept in check at times. You must learn to temporarily subdue your desire for total understanding. There are situations when you simply need to proceed, follow the orders, and obey the directives - without always grasping the complete reasoning behind them.
The people issuing those orders likely do have a broader vision that you currently lack. Your role is to execute diligently first. Questioning can come later once you've demonstrated competent obedience and compliance.
Attention to Detail is Paramount
Being a good follower requires laser-focus on the crucial details. You must develop the capacity to meticulously execute every aspect of your duties with excellence, proficiency, and craftsmanship. Leave no loose end untied or box unchecked.
Collaborate harmoniously with your teammates to create an optimal end-product or service, leveraging your combined skills, resources, and time. The quality of your work must be utterly impeccable.
Why? Because the leader's vision and strategy ultimately depends on the implementation by their followers. If you cannot complete the tasks with care and execution as a follower, you'll be incapable of upholding those same standards from a leadership position.
The Path From the Bottom Up
At some point, you absolutely must gain firsthand experience doing every facet of the work in your field or organization - even the unglamorous grunt tasks. Yes, make the cold calls, load and unload that truck of inventory, get your hands dirty. Don't shy away from it.
Immersing yourself in these realities allows you to build reservoirs of empathy and hard-won wisdom. You'll have a richer understanding of the immense stresses and obstacles that your future followers will face in those roles.
Then, when you eventually move into leadership, you can say with full credibility: "I've been there. I've done that. I know the struggles, and I can show you a better way or how it helps the big picture, having walked that gauntlet myself." Your influence and guidance will be amplified because you have the experience to back it up.
Walk Before You Run
You cannot become a great leader by sheer intelligence, charisma or raw talent alone. You must first undergo the transformation of being a diligent, dutiful follower who checks their ego at the door. Remember, Leaders are made no born.
Pay close attention to detail and strive for excellence in every task, no matter how menial. Obey the edicts, even when the reasons may be unclear to you at that moment. Work unglamorous jobs from top to bottom. You don’t have to spend copious amounts of time here, but the first hand exposure pays dividends when trying to lead those in the role.
By doing so, you forge the tempered steel of essential leadership skills within yourself: true empathy, uncompromising execution, credibility, and an enlightened big-picture perspective.
So go ahead - get your feet wet as a good follower first. Immerse yourself in the mindset of a follower temporarily. It's the proving grounds, the rite of passage, that will elevate you into an extraordinarily effective leader with an unshakable foundation.
Roll up those sleeves and discover where you still need to do some following before you can rightly lead.
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