Follow the Leader?
When we were kids most of us, at one time or another, played follow the leader. Many of us still do today as owner or mangers in the automotive field, when we are running our shops. As kids we would sometimes make the tasks easy, so everyone was able to keep up and stay in the game. Sometimes, however the purpose of the game was to make it so hard to follow that no one could keep up and the last one left was the winner. The problem is that now we need everyone to keep up with us as we run our shops but many times they cannot or will not follow our lead. Is it because we have made the game too hard or are we just ineffective leaders?
Every leader must have a goal, a vision or some guiding purpose that can be shared and embraced by the followers. We must keep in mind the tasks we are asking our people to do as they follow us to the group goal. It is not much of a problem to get our compatriots to stomp in a mud puddle but ask them to wade in chins deep mud and slime and we may find ourselves alone. Alone, in chin deep mud and slime, while in business is not a good thing. It is not a winning situation. Your goal must be clear and focused. It must be understandable to all of your employees. Most of all, it must be something they can share in. In today’s world we reward those who help us achieve the companies’ goals. Most of us think in terms of financial reward, but he most important may be the intangible gifts that we give to those around us. The recognition and praise we give to each other for a job well done can mean a lot more than a couple extra bucks in a paycheck. Those of you who have eaten a worm or a bug on a dare know the satisfaction of completing a challenge that others will not accept. The fact that they are tasty is just a side benefit that few know of.
The plan is how we are going to reach our goal. As the leader we must develop a step by step process for overcoming the hurdles we know will be coming as we grow and build contingencies for the obstacles that try and blind side us. When we first started playing follow the leader, we had an idea of what the others with us could do or could not do. We then decided if we wanted to finish altogether or be the final victor. In a business, we can never afford to think that we can be alone as the final victor. We know that everyone must win our customers, our employees and ourselves. Too many times the employees win and the owner loses, sometimes the owner wins and the employees lose. In both cases the customer usually is the one who eventually decides that everybody will lose. A business that does not allow for everyone to win will undoubtedly fail at some point. Happy, properly compensated employees, who feel that they are involved in a winning company, will treat the customers and each other better. They will even be willing to go through some mud if they believe they have a clear idea of where they are going and some say in how deep the mud will get.
Dynamic action is what drives the business and the employees towards the goal. The leader must provide an example of purposeful effort that will inspire those around them to drive to the goal. Even as kids, follow the leader was more fun with a dynamic leader that pushed the group to try new things and push personal limits. The problem is to know the group and their limits and how far to push the limits. You must lead from the front. It is impossible to push people from behind into a new area, a new task that they have not accomplished yet. You must lead and you must make them believe in what you are doing. They must feel that you have the ability to take them and the group to the final goal. When they see you in the mud they will know how deep it is and they will know that you will help them through the obstacle. They must believe in you! They must know that you will reach back for them if they are stuck and be there to pull them through. If they believe in you and the final goal they will sacrifice for the common good. Humans have proven, time and again, that they will drive towards a goal, sometimes at great sacrifice. If you can be that leader, with a goal that others can share, with a plan that others can follow and have the fortitude to be confidant in the face of adversity so that the others will not lose heart, then they will go through the mud with you. I have said may times that when in doubt, it is better to do something, anything, even if it may be wrong but do it with great enthusiasm and they will follow. Here’s to mud in your eye!
By: George Zeeks
Management “Coach” Consultant