Following those who Lead
I listened to Simon Sinek’s TED talk last night (very powerful, by the way; I’d suggest listening if you have 17 minutes available)
I don’t want to spoil the whole talk, but at the end, he talks about the difference between leaders and those who lead.
The difference is those who lead focus on the “why” and not the “what” to get buy-in from others.
The last minute of the talk had me reflecting on what other qualities I gravitate to in those who lead. They all can probably be tied back into explaining the “why” (but I’m still going to list the qualities).
Four traits I find I gravitate towards when following others who lead.
Transparency
Every day, I stumble across a video of someone trying to sell their secret sauce but won’t share any of it until they’ve had the video long enough to get ad revenue for it or put it behind a paywall. Those times when listening to others express their intent upfront or communicate openly without an agenda always get me to stop and listen.
Engaging
The mannerisms you can give off when you’re busy or stressed can often be very dismissive. Interacting with people that always reiterate they don’t have enough time or are lost in their thoughts during a conversation is constantly deflating. That is why I tend to follow those who seem to always be present in giving all their attention to their conversations with others.
Consistency
I had a strength coach in college who would always communicate with the same message. It did not matter the day, it did not matter the audience, and it did not matter his mood. It showed me he believed in the messages he would share and made it easy for those messages to sink in.
Team motivated
“We, not me” is a quote that seems to have many people credited when you google its origin. I always find that those that will use vocabulary around acknowledging the contributions of all before talking about their own actions have always drawn me in as a follower.
What are qualities in others that you find you gravitate to? Who are other public figures that you believe lead well? Let me know in the comments below.
