Jimmy Collins – Doug Dickerson on Leadership

The most difficult instrument to play in the orchestra is second fiddle – Leonard Bernstein

I read a story once of a young woman who wanted to go to college, but her heart sank when she read the question that asked, “Are you a good leader?” Being both honest and conscientious, she wrote, “No,” and returned the application expecting the worst.

To her surprise, she received this letter from the college: “Dear Applicant: A study of the application reveals that this year our college will have 1,42 new leaders. We are accepting you because we feel it imperative that they have at least one follower.”

I suppose being a follower runs counterintuitive to being a good leader. But I submit that good followership is good leadership. They are not mutually exclusive.

So what does good followership look like and why is it important? In his book, Creative Followership, Jimmy Collins says, “If you’re not selling chicken, you better be supporting someone who is.” Understanding the value of good followership can add tremendous value to any organization. Here are three ways how.

Followership drives the vision

Simply put, good followership; the buy-in if you will, is the fuel that drives the mission and vision of your organization. Taken in its proper context, followership is not abdicating your position within your organizational structure. If anything, it’s empowering it Click To Tweet. Rather than relying on a title to move you forward off the backs of those around you, being a good follower is getting behind the best ideas- regardless of the source – and everyone working toward shared goals.

When the vision is clear and buy-in has taken place, then somehow positional leadership loses its appeal. Rather than turf wars and politics being your driving force, you can purposefully pursue your vision and where you are in the pecking order becomes secondary.

The leader who knows how to follow will outlast the leader who only wants to lead the parade.

Followership builds teamwork

A team is only as strong as the collective effort of its team members. So long as everyone on the team only wants to be the captain and call the plays, you will never make the advancements you desire to achieve. Babe Ruth summed it up nicely when he said, “The way a team plays as a whole determines its success. You may have the greatest bunch of individual stars in the world, but if they don’t play together, the team won’t be worth a dime.” And this is the essence of teamwork.

The myth that needs to be dispelled here is that you never lead when you are a follower. Within your organization, there will be times when your role is that of being a good follower. Other times, you’ll be the point person on a certain project. The point being, you are not just a follower, or just a manager or supervisor. When you work as a team you play to your strengths and everyone adapts to seize the momentum you need at the moment.

Being a good follower on your team is allowing everyone to play to their strengths and everyone doing whatever it takes for the win. Knowing how to follow makes the difference.

Followership builds the future

The success of your organization relies upon leaders being able to embrace being a good follower. You will never rise above your ability to serve. If serving and following is beneath you then leadership is beyond you. Your future as a leader and the future of your organization rests upon people being comfortable in their own skin and embracing roles that don’t necessarily embody their title or rank. Click To Tweet

When you learn to set aside your own agenda for the good of the team and embrace a followership attitude, you will build a future that you can be proud of, but you have to set aside your pride to make that happen.

Final Thoughts

How about you? Are you a good follower? What issues do you need to work on in order to be a good follower? In a world where everyone competes to be the leader “in charge”, how refreshing it would be to look around and find more followers.

Suggested Reading:

Creative Followership – In The Shadow of Greatness by Jimmy Collins

Order from Amazon at https://amzn.to/3hbjVYh

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“He who tends the fig tree will eat its fruit, And he who cares for his master will be honored.” – King Solomon (Proverbs 27:18)

I read an article on CBS News Money Watch about the Top 40 Bonehead Bosses. There you can read the accounts of some the most boneheaded bosses you can imagine. Here’s one just for fun:

I worked as a secretary for a large metropolitan hospital. My son was in daycare at a local church. One day a co-worker ran into the office and screamed: “the church is on fire, the church is on fire”. Immediately, I ran to the church, where I could see the smoke, the fire, four fire engines and people everywhere. I was in a panic. I lost my shoe, tore my dress and dropped my purse looking for my son. After finding him (Thank God!), I returned to work frazzled and disheveled. When I made it back to my desk, my Boss approached me and said “You left your station without permission. You will be disciplined for this!”

Boneheaded boss? I’d say so. And this highlights the age old love/hate relationship people have with their bosses. As a leadership speaker, I hear the stories. And I hear the stories from the bosses about their employees because that relationship cuts both ways.

In his book, Creative Followership, Jimmy Collins, the former COO of Chick-fil-A, outlines his powerful followership principles. Principle 12 states: Let others see the boss in you.

In explaining Principle 12, the underlying philosophy he says, “was to present unified purpose and action. When the people in the organization see management in unity, they are more confident in their own roles.” Creating a compelling vision and mission statement is only as powerful as the people’s ability to have buy-in it and execute it.

Elaborating more, Collins says, “Your work should mirror the quality and character of the boss. Do things in a manner that will meet and even exceed your leader’s personal standard.”

These timely principles are as important now as they have ever been. So let me ask you:, do your colleagues, customers, and clients see the boss in you? Do people see in you an accurate reflection and representation of your organization’s core values and beliefs? Do you back it up with your words, actions, and ethics? As you reflect on these questions, here are a few important reminders for your consideration.

You are the face of your organization

Don’t make the mistake of believing that it’s only your boss who is the face of your organization. Regardless of where you are in your organizational structure, if you are on the payroll, you are the face of your organization. If you can’t proudly be the face of your organization then it’s time to either change your attitude or change your address.

You are an extension of your boss

As an extension of your boss, you carry a great deal of responsibility on your shoulders. How can you rightfully be an extension of your boss if you do not respect your boss? How can you passionately represent your organization in public if you are undermining it in private? As an extension of your boss, make it a priority to develop trust and be in unity with him or her. Develop your consensus in private, articulate your unity in public.

You are part of the ‘why’

Simon Sinek says, “People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it.” It’s a simple and yet very profound statement. Think about the implications of it for just a moment. You are the reason why customers keep coming back or decide to go elsewhere. You are the reason why clients trust you and choose to keep giving you their business or move on. You are the reason why your organization runs efficiently, has a strong work ethic, and has strong morale or you are a part of the reason it doesn’t.

What is really the message of letting others see the boss in you? It’s about raising your own personal standard of excellence. It’s about stepping up as a leader in your own right regardless of your title or position. It’s about ownership and being a standard-bearer for your organization and being a part of a cause greater than yourself.

What are people seeing in you?

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Doug Dickerson on Leadership

Tag: Jimmy Collins

How To Be A Good Follower

Let Others See The Boss In You