"Men can be divided into two classes: hosts and guests." Max Beerbohm

"Men can be divided into two classes: hosts and guests." Max Beerbohm Last weekend I was enjoying a management’s conference and an idea turns all the time in my head ... Are we followers of are selfleaders of our lifes? Understanding, and accepting, your natural skills will enable you to figure out how to increase your knowledge and expertise. Some of us have leadership potential, whilst other individuals may find they are more competent and confident followers. Acknowledging which title best defines you and your abilities will therefore empower you to work to your strengths. Leadership is a process and not a position. In order to take charge of a situation it is important that the individual in charge is able to motivate and inspire others. The necessary skills required to do this should also be complemented by the charisma to persuade others to work towards achieving success. Within a team of followers however, there may be a number of leaders who help set direction and commitment to a project, and help create a focus for alignment. Natural leaders are confident people who draw other people towards them with ease. Having good interpersonal skills is beneficial, as too is having the confidence to be socially assertive and the flexibility to adapt to any situation. A Follower’s Mindset Followers may be as skilled, motivated, competent, confident and knowledgeable as a leader but may find they prefer to take action from request rather than inspire and persuade others to do so. Followers may also enjoy contributing within a team of individuals, or working to create impact in other ways, without having to be responsible for outcome. A leader is also responsible for influencing others and inspiring them to develop their skills and abilities. Followers, on the other hand, need to know that their individual contribution is valued. This means that a leader must not sabotage a follower’s efforts in any way, but offer praise for tasks that are completed successfully. If you are a leader it is important that your followers are able to trust you. If other people have confidence in your judgment your leadership skills will continue to grow. Your success is considerably impaired however, if followers feel there are discrepancies between how you view yourself and the knowledge and experience that you share with them as a leader. Ensuring you continue to develop leadership skills, through feedback from your team of followers, will enable a leader to motivate and inspire with renewed confidence. And finally, listening to speaker of this weekend, remember the movie "The world is divided into two categories: those with loaded gun and those who dig. You dig" This character's dialogue Rubio in The Good, the Bad and the bad, let me thinking all weekend ... Dig you, what?