The other day, while skimming LinkedIn, I came across yet another one of those cheesy quotes that, unfortunately, have become all too common on the site: “Surround yourself with people on the same mission.” I proceeded to get into an online discussion with several people who have probably never held a serious leadership position in their careers. I should have known better, or maybe I’ve just spent too many decades in the trenches.

This concept has bothered me for many years, back to when I first read the similar concept floated by Jim Collins of “get the right people on the bus” with the corollary of “get the right people in the right seats.” I’ll give most of you a couple minutes to finish genuflecting since I mentioned the name Jim Collins. Many of you probably still do the same when someone utters the name “Jack Welch,” even if you know of his hypocritical postulations on the value of people.

Jim Collins’ metaphor is well-intended, but is often misinterpreted to mean that everyone must be perfectly aligned and share the same thoughts. Similarly, the statement of “surround yourself with people on the same mission” is misinterpreted to mean that everyone must be following the leader no matter what... even if she is leading the flock off a cliff.

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