Leadership is not necessarily about getting people to follow you. In fact, the test of leadership effectiveness is what happens when you’re not there. If everything depends on you and falls apart when you’re not there, obviously the effectiveness of your team is limited. You can’t be there all the time.

At times you might be in front. But other times, it might be more effective to be among those following, as illustrated in the story about The Empty Carriage.

Or in the words of Lao Tzu:

“To lead people, walk beside them.
As for the best leaders, the people do not notice their existence.
The next best, the people honor and praise.
The next, the people fear; and the next, the people hate.
When the best leader’s work is done the people say,
‘We did it ourselves!’”

Leadership is about influencing people to go somewhere together. Once they are mobilized, movement takes on a life of its own.

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