Leadership – How do you lead so others will follow?

Why would anyone follow me?

I ask myself this question many times. What is it about what I do, how I speak, what I speak about or how I look that people want to follow? Do I have anything to offer anyone? These are the questions that all leaders ask, let’s explore leadership and what our qualities are or could be.

Leadership has been described in many ways, according to Webster’s dictionary leadership means:
Show the way, command, induce, direct, initiative, example, guidance

John Erskine really keeps it simple and to the point with his definition of leadership…

“In the simplest terms, a leader is one who knows where he/she/they want to go, then gets up and goes!”

Abraham Lincoln couldn’t have said it better…

“It is the leader’s role to lift others out of their everyday selves up to a higher level of awareness, motivation and commitment.”

Jack Welsh, the former CEO of General Electric has a different take on leadership…

“One thing about leadership is that you cannot be a moderate, balanced, thoughtful, careful articulator of policy…You’ve got to be on the lunatic fringe!”

Now for all of us lunatics this last definition is awesome! What can we learn about how we lead – do we follow our head or our heart? I have read numerous books on the topic of leadership, I have attended workshops and conferences focusing on leadership, but the biggest lessons that I have ever learned came from an unexpected source. When I volunteered at an orphanage in Guatemala for three weeks, I truly learned what leadership was and what it took to become a leader that people wanted to follow. I learned these valuable lessons from a 7 year old orphan girl named Alejandra. She revealed authentic, peaceful and powerful leadership skills. She did this effortlessly and with a smile. Here are the key tips that I learned from this amazing child and now share in workshops and keynote presentations:

L – Laughter – Alejandra had a laugh that was contagious, her smile lit up the room. How could a child who was homeless be so incredibly happy and share her great joy with all those around her? She laughed and played with no worries of life.

E – Energy – Alejandra’s energy was boundless, she was the first in line at school, the first to want to play soccer or dance. She ate well balanced meals and took an afternoon nap everyday.

A – Attitude – Her attitude on life was truly amazing, she was always positive and never let anything or anyone get her down.

D – Decision making – Alejandra decided to make the best out of any situation, she never made people angry or upset. She decided when it was worth a fight.

I – Inspiration – Not only did she inspire our entire mission team, she inspired all of the children at the orphanage

N- Nurture - Listening actively is a skill that many of us take 2 and 3 day workshops on, Alejandra had this gift naturally. She listened intently without interrupting or her drawing her own conclusions.

G – Goals – Did Alejandra have a goal – you bet – her goal was to be adopted and have a family of her own!

These leadership qualities are the basis for our LEADING by EXAMPLE workshop that we deliver all over Canada. I believe that we can all learn from this dear child.

We, at The Growth Shop have new leadership as well. Not only are all of our partner trainers truly amazing and gifted leaders we now have a new Business Manager that displays all that Alejandra has to offer. We welcome Linda Leontowich the developer and owner of Learn to Thrive Inc. Linda has been instrumental in the growth and success of The Growth Shop from its inception. She has guided us in our marketing and product development and now she is at the helm and we are thrilled. Please send a “Hello” her way at Lindal@thegrowthshop.com

Wendy Bodnar, BPE
Owner, The Growth Shop Ltd.

I am in a leadership role at the office, I am younger than most of the staff I am responsible for leading. How do I gain their respect and have them follow my lead?

This is a great question. I was also in this position early in my career. I found that leading by example was the best way to gain trust and respect in the workplace. I included all staff in decision making, so they had ownership in the final decision that I made. Keep things light, energetic and fun. Share the ultimate goal with the staff so they all can see and buy into where you are heading. Best of luck!