OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE SAME COIN
By Jim Blasingame ©2008 All Rights Reserved
Someone once told me that you can't be an effective leader without first knowing how to follow. I think successful leaders not only learn how to be followers first, but they also never forget that perspective.
In his book, Moses: CEO, my friend, Robert Dilenschneider says, "Leading and following are opposite sides of the same coin." What an interesting paradoxical metaphor: Opposites indeed, but one can't exist without the other. Being a leader takes more than just wanting to lead. In the marketplace, you can only be a leader if you can get others to follow you.
No matter the size of a small business, there will always be more things to do than people to do them; everyone must wear several different hats. You can't drive people to wear extra hats, but you can lead them to do it. Does this mean that leadership is an especially essential characteristic for a small business owner to have? I think so.
Napoleon once said, "A soldier will fight long and hard for a piece of colored ribbon." But only a leader who understands the heart of a follower can convince the soldier that the ribbon is worth fighting for.
If you want to be a successful small business owner, make sure you know and understand both sides of the "coin". Then line up your troops, put your ribbon out in front, and lead them into battle.
Small Business Advocate Blog
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