Alongside
The quiet power of leaders who strengthen from behind and balance by being alongside.
Leadership: A Parade Named You
You walk people to places they never imagined that they would stand. You stand with them.
You walk people to places they hoped to go — but could not visualize the way.
Once there, you stand with them and expand their view even more.
You are an excellent vehicle: an inviter. One who draws from before and entices.
You lead from the back of the pack: one who coaches from behind and inspires.
Shoulder to shoulder you extend camaraderie, profound humor and shared vision. As you come alongside you support, sustain and assure there will be progress.
What an honor to be part of a parade that will always be remembered as You.
There are leaders who claim the spotlight.
There are leaders who share the spotlight.
And there are leaders who give it away.
They stand behind the curtain. They place tools precisely where they will be needed. They push others forward to take the bow. When something falters, they accept responsibility. They teach to the “next time.”
They are coaches from behind.
They are essentially spotters beside the gymnast.
Two strides behind the runner, increasing their own speed to elevate the one in front. That leader knows they could always cross the finish line first…but they don’t.
And after being at the back, there are leaders who come alongside.
They anticipate. They stabilize.
They strengthen the non-dominant hand. They do not overpower. They fortify.
Regardless of title, rank, or calling, if you are human you are both a follower and a leader. Your effectiveness is measured not by position, but by posture.
If no one has yet said to you,
“I am who I am because of you,”
Polish your patterns.
Strengthen your AND.
Step back into the parade.
It may one day be remembered as You.
Here’s a Question:
Who in your life right now needs you not in front of them, but beside them?
> Who in your life right now needs you not in front of them, but beside them?
That's easy. My 20-year-old daughter has come to stay with me for a while as she sorts out her future.
The last time we lived together, she was a kid. Now she's been on her own for two years.
She's a private person with a head full of concerns and dreams that she holds close.
She is blossoming under my new way of addressing her as an adult peer. It's helped her be comfortable asking about my experiences. Not advice, exactly. She's too young and proud to ask directly. But she is eager for information so she can make her own choices.
I am so proud of her and I love her so much. We are having lots of fun in each other's company, punctuated by straight talk about memories and the way our little family exploded a few years ago.
When she was little, she collected beautiful figurines of elves and angels. I used to sneak into her room at night and rearrange them. Sometimes they'd be having a party. Other times she awaken to find them on the window sill looking out at the sky.
She rushed into the kitchen. "Daddy! They moved again! They're really alive!"
She left her collection to her little sister when she left their mother's house in the UK. I heard about that, and I thought it was the end of it.
But yesterday I awoke and I found one of the angels sitting on my nightstand. It had been watching over me as I slept.