No Boss Does Not Mean No Leadership
A friend got in touch with a question…
“Do you have favorite lessons from being a professional Cat Herder? I’m working in a flat, collaborative group, but I’ve realized that by jumping in to save the day all the time I am establishing myself as the point of control. People instinctively go to me instead of the group at large with ideas and problems. Now I’m worried that if I step back, our plans could fall through.”
Leadership is the force that guides people to achieve desired outcomes through coordinated effort. It doesn’t require a boss.
My friend is running into trouble precisely because she has leadership skills, but in our society we aren’t really taught how to apply leadership outside of hierarchy.
Tags: Articles and Interviews
