Quote

Following - not leading

Here’s a great quote, that goes to the very heart of leadership:

I start with the premise that the function of leadership is to produce more leaders, not more followers.

– Ralph Nader

I could not agree more: good leaders create devoted followers, but great leaders create more leaders. Lao Tzu spoke to the same thing 2500 years ago when he said:

A leader is best when the people are hardly aware of his existence,
not so good when people stand in fear,
worse, when people are contemptuous.

Fail to honour people, and they will fail to honour you.

But a good leader who speaks little,
when his task is accomplished, his work done,
the people say “We did it ourselves.”

Have you known a leader, whose leadership style naturally created more leaders around him or her? What did that leader do?

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5 thoughts on “Quote”

  1. It is indeed a challenge for a leader to lift those people he handles to be in the same level as he is.

    Love & Gratitude,
    Tina
    Think Simple. Be Decisive.

  2. my inherited leader, sales director, there only by default, was threatened by my skills and did not have a clue about relationship/ccommunication management or making the best of my extensive experience and knowledge….so he re structered and made me redundant..instead of lifting me to his level so that i could help him…god knows i asked for more challenging work.!..now thats what i call a lame excuse for poor management!
    surely thats not right!?!!

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