The Benefits Of Being A Follower

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Be a leader not a follower.
Be a follower. Its the smartypants way to prepare yourself for your leadership role.

If someone is where you strive to be, it makes sense to watch her closely and find out what worked for her. Being a skilled follower saves time and prevents costly rookie mistakes.

How To Be A Skilled Follower

First off, leaders aren’t just the ones sitting at the top. If they’re ahead of you, they’re leading the way. It pays to follow the lead of those at different phases on the same journey. Each one will provide you with valuable insight. 

I like to put these leaders under three key categories:

1. The Champ – she’s the pro — the one that we all look up to. She inspires and gives us a preview of the possibilities that await at the top of the mountain.

How to follow: to watch and learn from these pros, you basically stalk them.
a. Subscribe to their blogs and follow them on their social media accounts
b. Watch their interviews
c. Read their books and biographies
d. Attend their presentations

2. The Motivator – she’s half-way up that mountain. She makes your big hairy audacious goals seem less daunting.

How to follow: pick her brain with a little Q&A. Don’t be shy. Gone are the days of secret recipes. Successful people know that to keep the good energy flowing, they have to be willing to share.

You can conduct your casual interview via:

a. A coffee date
b. A Skype session
c. Email correspondence (always aim for face-to-face interaction. Email should be your last resort.)

3. The Buddy – she dreams, believes and does. Just like you. The only difference is, she’s a few steps ahead of you. Having just been through what you’re about to embark on, she can show you how to work through the challenges that are just around the corner.

How to follow: becomes BFF’s. Just being around the Buddy will mobilize you. Strive to surround yourself with as many Buddies as you can find. Build a mastermind group with a few Buddies and watch what it does for your goals.

Be a follower if you want to get on the fast-track to success. But utilize only those strategies that will work for your personality, your goals and your circumstances — all of which are unique to you.  Being a follower doesn’t have to mean that you lose your identity.

Take what you learn from others and innovate. Pave your own path.

That’s when you’ll become a leader.

   This Friday, I’m putting this post to practice by attending Leading Moms, an event in Vancouver that aims to inspire moms to live their dreams while raising families. Last year’s event was full of heart. I remember walking away at the end of the day, visualizing big things for my life.

It’s just the kind of event that is filled with Champs, Motivators and Buddies.

You should be there.

Check out this video from Leading Moms 2012.

If you’re in Vancouver, this Friday, September 20, 2013 get your ticket for Leading Moms. With a fabulous line up of presenters including an olympic champ, an author, an entrepreneur, and a rapper mama (yes!) this event won’t disappoint.

O and there’s a fashion show by Art Knapp that I’m modelling in. Come watch me strut.

Share your most effective methods by which you learn from leaders, in the comments below.

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