The world is made up of both leaders and followers. It is hard to be both. A good leader may not be a good follower and a good follower may not be a good leader. Most careers require that we be both. Recognizing our strengths and weaknesses can be the key to our success and happiness. People that can fill the role of both leader and follower are truly unique.
I recently did a post on The Peter Principle: Why Things Go Wrong by Dr. Laurence J. Peter and Raymond Hull. The book states; “Good followers do not become good leaders.” A good follower will probably win many promotions and eventually be promoted to a level of incompetence.
The book points out that a good leader may not make a good follower. The book further points out that in most hierarchies, the employees with the greatest leadership abilities will not have the opportunity to become leaders. This may present problems to the point of them being fired. This individual needs to go into business for him or herself. The individual doing this is called a “self-made man” in the book.
Identifying strengths and weaknesses are important to our success. We have all heard the saying that “Those who can, do, and those that can’t, teach.” This is probably true in some cases, but some of the best teachers are people who have actually done it. One individual told me that he liked my book, Business Fits, because it was offered life examples and not just some collage professor talking theory.
Does a good salesman make a good sales manager? Can a poor salesman make a good sales manager? I address these questions in Business Fits. I think both can be true depending on the individual. In some cases, a good salesman will be promoted to a level of incompetence as a sales manager.
I once had a client who was an outstanding salesman and was a good sales manager, but was frustrated and unhappy in the sales manager role because his sales staff could not perform to his expectations. We had to find a new opportunity that gave him the personal sales challenges he needed.
The key to success is to capitalize on your strengths, and recognize your weaknesses. Your present job may not give you the opportunity to capitalize on your strengths. This may mean changing jobs, or finding a self-employment business model that fits you.
This does not mean looking for a product or service that excites you. That is often referred to as the Entrepreneurial Myth, and what I call an Outside-In approach. I recommend an Inside-Out approach in my book.
These same problems exist in the public and private sectors of our economy with slight variations. Elected officials in the public sector present a unique situation where they can neither lead nor follow. Their only talent is campaigning. They can raise money and give a good speech, which is referred to as a “General Purpose” speech in The Peter Principle. Unfortunately, some of these politicians get elected.
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