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Terina Allen’s Forbes.com article provides raw insight into what it takes to be a leader.  She says good leaders manage themselves first.  They act and hold themselves accountable for the shadow they cast.  What I found most striking is her assertion that the best leaders appreciate the value of followership. 

If you lead, it’s because others have agreed to follow you.  If you value and appreciate their trust in you, view them as equals – people who have unique gifts and talents, and their own good ideas.  See them as the major contributors they are to goals – professionals who bring expertise and ideas to the conversation that are worthy of discussion.  

Don’t short-shrift dialogue.  Instead, explore issues and opportunities, together.  Encourage questions and healthy debate – with you and each other.  Seek to understand their value-added perspective.  You’re not the only leader in the room.  They, too, are leaders in their own right.  

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