On a recent EntreLeadership Podcast Jon Acuff mentioned something I really liked and wanted to share.  He mentioned that as a leader you need to take the first step and allow everyone else to go second.  Why?  Because it is easier to go second and more people will follow.

This is something all leaders need to understand.  To get people to follow you have to go first (sounds obvious, right?).  But so many “leaders” want to tell people where to go instead of leading them where to go.  People are more likely to follow your actions.

Imagine working in a fast food business and you see your manager empty the trash every night while you are doing the final cleaning.  He doesn’t call attention to it but you notice that he is doing it.  One night he is swamped with office work and without considering anything you simply go and take out the trash without being asked.  Why did you do this?  Some will answer because it is their job.  I expect many others will say it is because their LEADER does it all the time they were willing to help him out without being asked.

There was an excellent TED Talk by Derek Sivers on “How to Start a Movement” where one person is in a park and starts dancing (the leader) which made it easier for a second person, then more, and more, and more until they had a group.  The hardest thing was not the dancing but being the first one to dance.

If you want to be a leader then do it first.