Reading, What Every Leader Needs to Know about Followers, and then setting it aside for some time of reflection, I began asking myself, what type of leader am I? One thought, that I have had previous came back to me after reading this article and it is: We are all leaders, either positive or negative, and we make that decision. Reading through this text, the author discussions three types of followers and we all know to make a great leader you have to be an even better follower! Barbara Kellerman writes about three types of followers: isolates, bystanders, and the diehards. “Diehards are prepared to go down for their cause – whether it’s an individual, an idea, or both.” (Kellerman, 2007). Being a “diehard” is where I found myself in the mix of being a follower. I do this in my professional practice, my teaching at the local community college, and my business. I am about taking it to the extreme, to help out other people.
People always are talking about what they want to accomplish in life (isolates), others do what they need to just to get by (bystanders), and others are standing up and making their lives mean something by being a difference (diehards). What would I like to accomplish, before I die? What would I like to be remembered for? Death is nothing I would like to dwell on, but life is something that I enjoy doing, and I will make every attempt to daily live as if it were my last!
I have so many hopes and dreams, that I would like to see come to pass during my time here on earth. If I could funnel all of these goals into one major priority; it would be, to be a resource by helping educate others, so that they can become better citizens in our communities and world. Fifteen years from now, it would mean the world to me if someone came to me and said, “Chad as a leader, remember when…you made a difference!” That is exactly what I see as a sure accomplishment, this to me is worth more than one billion dollars in my savings account.
Being remembered is something everybody wants; this is commonplace in our nature of being. I am not the type of person that necessarily needs or wants a building named after me or even a street for that matter. While thinking about what I would like to be known for; someone that is compassionate, and a resource of knowledge and understanding, for people of all ages. Also, noted for one that gives of my time and is truly concerned about the other person’s well being at any given time. In doing these things; all, can be in this world and truly make it a better place to live for all of us that inhabit it.
There are 24 hours in a day and 168 hours in a week…if I was to find out, I was dying tomorrow, I would truly live my life to the fullest; get on a plane and fly away to a far remote island. Go and visit friends, which are all over the world being and doing a diehard service for God’s kingdom. I would like to live my life to the fullness, for this day at hand…so I have learned after writing and preparing this blog and reading this article; I am not sure when I will die, but I will live my day for this day. I will accomplish all that I can to help others, so that they can succeed and be a better person. No matter how much I accomplish in this world, or remembered for, or even in seeing my last wish; I will be more alive when I am dead! For all these things I am grateful and I plan to live a life that is diehard!
Have a Better than Great 2014,
Chad
