The Secret Key to Great Leadership
I grew up in a generation when no one locked doors. Doors to your home, automobile doors even business doors were left unlocked. Vehicles were easily started without a key. There was no need to lock things up because in my rural area of South Louisiana folks shared whatever that had with others.
If you needed to borrow something you simply did and left a note, returned the item in better condition than when you borrowed it. When it was returned, you left a token of appreciation. Rarely was it money because that was a commodity most people did not have. No, what was left was usually a provocative thought: an invitation to share a cup of coffee, or a reminder that if you ever needed anything we had, feel free to stop by. Whether we’re at home or not. What was ours was yours if you needed it.
Oddly, one of my most treasured possessions of child hood was a ring of keys that unlocked nothing. Those keys always mesmerized me. I dreamed about what they could possibly open! I carried them everywhere. I pretended to unlock everything with them. I don’t recall ever locking anything away with them. Nope, keys were made to unlock doors: locked doors that contained life’s secrets and great treasures.
My early life landscape was a rural farming area surrounded by a storybook of colorful people. I was known in my community as the kid who did not have a father. My dad died before I was born. Since doors were never locked there was no need to carry keys yet my early life is full of people who took the time to share a key with me- keys to life, keys to survival and keys to success. These are the most important keys you will ever carry with you.
I grew up in a rural community with my grandparents, mother, my older sister. As a young boy I followed the footsteps of my grandfather as he plowed the rows; followed my grandmother as she did her daily chores; followed my single mother of two children to church each week; followed my sister to the point of aggravation (that is what brothers do) and when I had the chance I followed anyone who would let me tag along.
If I noticed they had a key or key ring they quickly moved to the top of my list as someone I wanted to follow. Those keys told me they had something special somewhere and if I followed quietly, endeared myself to them –well, I just might get to see the secret treasure they were protecting.
My earliest school teachers told me I was a leader. I had learned an early lesson about leading on the farm that was useful on the first day of school. One day while walking in the field I asked Papa (my grandfather) “How does the bell cow, the one who leads the herd, get to be the lead cow?” His answer was simple yet earth- shaking.
“You learn to lead by following.”
Hence, I began following. I followed him every step of the day and when he sat to drink a cup of coffee-, my questions started. I have learned more over a cup of coffee with others than all my time in academic settings. The best teachers were those who shared a cup of coffee with me.
Most aspiring leaders want to begin in front of a crowd of followers. However, great leaders always begin by following. There is no real desire to be at center stage, to entertain, to make others like you, to cause them to laugh or to impress them. The real desire is to lead others to the secret treasures you have discovered. The secrets to life, the treasures of joy, the keys that protect the hidden things—a leader wants to share with those who are willing to follow first. Tomorrow’s leaders are today’s followers.
The Secret Key to Leadership is to learn to follow first. That key is most often neglected, never used and results in false leadership, failed leaders and self-serving people who use others to benefit themselves. Sadly, false leaders never recognize their failure.
Over the years, I have collected other keys. Some I found along the way. Some I have been given. Some I’ve earned the hard way. The next key I would like to talk about is the Key to Humility.
Look for it in my next blog post…
I have to go get another cup of coffee.