— To follow is a bullet of wisdom on leadership. It comes from Tom’s rifle, named Shot, who has seen it all. You’ll get the drift by clicking Blog in the menu at www.tomnewhouse.com.
WE RIFLE’S LIKE THE LINE often heard in old westerns: “Don’t ever point a gun at somebody unless you intend to use it.” Never mind that you just might aggravate the other party and get yourself shot, but also consider this point: Before getting involved, know what you’re planning to do and why.
It’s quite common for leaders to lead their teams to execute a higher up’s decision. But what should happen if you as the leader don’t believe in the decision handed down? That’s a tough one. Lead blindly? Not so good. Try this: Ask questions until you understand how and why the decision was made. The why is especially important. Without it, you won’t believe in the mission; you won’t be positioned to lead. You can’t lead (with people actually following you) to a place you are not willing to go.