I’m not a huge Winter Olympics fan, but I enjoy watching some of the events. While watching the downhill slalom racing in Korea I heard the announcer say, “With that time, he’s now leading the pack.” For the first time, I heard it. I heard the misnomer in the words he chose. “He’s leading the pack.” I’m guilty of this too. We use the word “leader” synonymously with “winner.”

No wonder everyone wants their kid to grow up to be a leader! Who wouldn’t want their kid to grow up and be a winner!

Here’s the reality… leader and winner are not the same thing.

Leader Doesn’t Mean Winner

The term “leader” gets used in several different contexts, but especially in American Culture, too often the term leader is used synonymously with “winner.” Sales leader means current sales winner. Leading the pack means you’re winning the race.

But when the race ends with the current leader crossing the finish line, we stop calling that person the leader. Now we call them the winner. Why is leadership so attractive? Is it the false sense that when the race ends the current leader will now be named the winner?

Or is it just that we all see leadership as the pathway to winning? If we’re leading, then we’re winning?

Leaders have Followers

In a race, if you’re leading the pack, it is your job to beat everyone following you. You must stay ahead of them and not allow them to pass you. In a race, your followers are not your friends. Unfortunately, we see this play out in corporate world every day. Leaders who take advantage of the ones who follow. Some leaders will even lie and cheat to remain in the leadership role and to maintain their position.

True leadership revolves around caring for those who follow you. Without the followers, you’re not leading. As John C. Maxwell says, “If you think you’re leading, but no one is following, then you are only taking a walk.”

When leaders have followers they can have them for two reasons. Either the followers want to follow or the followers have to follow. Which type of followers would you want? Are you a leader with followers who want to follow (we call this committed) or they follow because they have to follow (we call this compliant)?

What can you do for your team today? What can you do for your followers?

Leaders are Going Somewhere

The term leader implies movement. Think about it. If I told you someone was leading an expedition. You’d probably follow up with the question, “Where are they going?” All leaders have a destination in mind. We call it a vision. That vision must be communicated effectively to the team.

When the team can see the destination through the eyes of the leader, they gain inspiration. The leader takes on the responsibility of the vision. The leader owns the vision. Then, knowing what the team needs, the leader provides all the support necessary to equip the team for the trip.

Leaders Support the Team

In a race, the leader of the race who crosses the finish line first will be declared the winner. The winner can only be the winner at the expense of the rest of the runners. This is where I really dislike the term “leader” being used in sporting events. It is the exact opposite of true leadership.

Leaders don’t win at the expense of the others. Leaders coach up others to become leaders. The leader is responsible for the team and accepts that responsibility.

Being a leader is not about getting the accolades from winning. It’s about putting others in a position to win. There’s no such thing as a winning coach in any sport if their team never wins anything. The leader’s success is tied directly to the achievements of the team. As Tom Peters says, “Leaders don’t create followers, they create more leaders.”

Leadership is a Responsibility

Leader doesn’t equal winner. Let’s stop misusing the term by thinking it’s a synonym for winner. Leader?… Actually it’s a job. It’s a job with a responsibility to support the followers. And it’s a tough job, but it’s a rewarding one too!

Let’s go take care of our teams!

Best,
Russ