Leadership: Leading Junior Leaders

Leadership is the ability to take a group of people to a predetermined objective.

It is not just the ability to determine the right objective.  It is the taking them there that is leadership.

Sometimes the selection of the rout to the objective can be delegated to your junior leaders.  This helps develop their leadership skills.  Sometimes the route must be selected by the senior leader.

When the senior leader must do the selection that leader must make the right decision no matter if he/she has consensus or not among the follower or among the junior leaders.

Yet, it is wise to make sure the junior leaders feel their perspectives and opinions have been heard and considered.  They they will come along the senior leader even if the route is different than they would take.

1. Sometimes the Junior leaders may have a more fresh or more creative route to the objective not considered by the senior leader.
2. No one likes to feel they are a slave to the leader.  All want to believe they are part of a team on a cause.  Not everyone likes the play called but they all have buy in to the play.  They want to feel that the team sees their value and contribution to the team.
3. Part of the development of junior leaders is teaching them to become great followers.  Great followers sometimes have to do what they don't want to do.  In fact one person said that is the definition of leadership, "making others do what you want them to do and not what they want to do.

Isn't that the way it is in marriage and work?  I may not want to do what my wife asks me to do but as long as she knows what other things I think need to be done and I know she values my opinion, I am much more willing to do as she asks.  So does that make her the senior leader?