I believe that leadership is our scarcest resource and yet our most needed commodity. In business, politics, education, church & family – everything rises and falls on leadership.
Today I wanted to explore leadership from the follower’s point of view, with three questions that every follower, consciously or unconsciously, asks about the leader.
In a recent interview John Maxwell posed these questions – stating that every follower asks:
-Do You Care For Me?
-Can You Help Me?
-Can I Trust You?
Question #1 – Do You Care For Me?
A follower first looks at do you care for me? Do you have a heart for me? What are your real motives?
As a leader our motives need to be pure and we need to truly care for those we lead. Our heart comes through to those we lead in subtle ways. Are we inward focused (selfish) or outward focused (selfless)? Do we invest in our people by going the extra mile? Are we genuinely interested in our people? Are you looking to give or looking to get?
Question #2 – Can You Help Me?
This question strikes at the Leader’s competence. Are you adding value? Are your people better today because of your leadership? Are you helping them?
As a leader, a level of competence creates credibility. People will follow those who add value because they will be better because of it. We must care about people and we must be trustworthy but if we want to be influential we must also be credible.
Question #3– Can I Trust You?
The third question is all about integrity. Are you whole? Do you keep your word and walk your talk? Are you the same person in your public, private and secret life?
A leaders reputation is created by integrity and destroyed by a lack of it. In my book, The Power of Influence, I introduce 7 Investments in Integrity. They are:
1. Be The Same Person in Your Public, Private & Secret Life
2. Take Responsibility
3. Keep Promises & Fulfill Commitments
4. Build People Up, Don’t Tear People Down
5. Give 100%, 100% of The Time
6. Be Humble
7. Live Your Values
By investing in your integrity you will be the kind of leader that your followers can trust.
Looking at leadership from the follower’s perspective helps us to assess our leadership by seeing what others see. Ask yourself the three questions that followers ask:
Do I Care?
Am I helping and adding value?
Can Others Trust Me?