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In the Words of Simon Sinek
January 22, 2025 09:44 PM
· 1 month ago
To be a Leader you only need one thing and one thing only: Followers. That’s it. A follower is someone who raises his or her hand and chooses to go in the direction you point. They volunteer to work to help advance towards the vision or destination the Leader lays out. Often they will do it at personal sacrifice. Not because they were asked to, but because they choose to.
Authority can get people to do things. However, having authority does not make someone a Leader. A Leader is only a Leader when others choose to follow. The question is, why should anyone follow you?
I have learned that the great Leaders—those with the capacity to inspire others to act, everyone from Martin Luther King, Jr. to Steve Jobs all think, act and communicate the exact same way…and it’s the complete opposite to the rest of us. What I have learned is that they all start with Why—the purpose, cause or belief that drives us. A clear sense of Why you do what you do is like an internal compass. No matter in which direction you face, that compass does not change the way it faces. And just as having a compass is the only way to navigate out of the woods or reach a chosen destination, so too is a clear sense of Why the only way to navigate through hard times or build a vision.