Follow But Do Not Follow

Did you know that it is not a good idea to ALWAYS follow whatever your leader has done? Well, unless your leader is perfect. Most of our leaders have committed mistakes in the past even though we see them as very successful people right now. What we really need to follow is what they say we should do. I am pertaining to their commands, tips, advices, etc. They have already experienced what we are still going to do. They already have an idea of the optimal action in attaining a goal without undergoing the mistakes they have committed.

One example I could give to make my statement clearer is a very loving and successful mother who got pregnant even before she got married. Her daughter, who also wants to be a loving and successful mother to her soon-to-be daughter, doesn't have to undergo the pains or mistakes committed by her mother when she was young. Our parents always tell "sermons" to us because they do not want us to commit the same mistakes they have done in the past.

If you want to become like someone, ask him how he got to his position and do not simply follow him from afar. Follow what he says, not what he has done. If he tells you to follow every step he took, then do so. But most of the time, leaders will tell you not to follow their mistakes. ;)

The Good and the Bad Leader

In any group, there appears to be a leader that well... leads. The very famous leadership coach, John Maxwell, said: "Leadership is influence". It's a very simple yet a powerful statement.

There are two kinds of influence: the good and the bad. Therefore, there also exists two kinds of leaders: the good and the bad.

The Good Leader

There are a lot of definitions of what a leader is; most, if not all, are positive. "Leaders are readers" and "Leaders are followers" are some of the famous quotes I know about leadership. There is less to talk about a good leader because it is almost always defined; it's a general knowledge already. (But sometimes what we know is not put into action. Tsk tsk...)

The Bad Leader

Since most of the quotes about leadership are about good leadership, I want to give emphasis on the bad leader. What is a bad leader? It is not always as simple as describing it as the opposite of a good leader. A bad leader can be a good leader as well. How? It really depends on his goal. If a bad leader was able to get the goal, he is a good leader even though the goal was bad in nature. One example of this is a gang leader who influences his group to steal or to do illegal vices. If he was able to succeed on influencing his whole group, he is a good leader but a very bad leader. The "good leader" refers to his ability to lead while the "bad leader" refers to him as a person.

Any leader could either be a good or a bad leader at one point or another. In essence, the word "leader" is a positive word. It is the goal that either makes it good or bad. Bad leadership is usually seen on unfavorable results.

Leadership is a skill and being able to pass that skill is vital in making a group improve or level up. My next blog is about following a leader. Should we follow what they say or what they do? ;)