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It sounds oxymoronic, but sometimes good leaders to need be good followers. The gung-ho, go get ’em approach only works part of the time. Other times, the leader needs to sit back and let his or her reports do their jobs. Or, perhaps, sometimes the leader can be running full-steam in the wrong direction. If that leader doesn’t take a second to hear some advice, things could get messy quickly. When else should a leader be a follower? Here are some circumstances:

• Listen and encourage new ideas from others. The best leader-followers listen well and provide encouragement when new ideas come forth. They recognize that they don’t have all the answers. They are open to doing new things, are willing to put their best foot forward to understand others’ viewpoints and inspire the best from everyone.
• Let go when the fight isn’t worth it. Great leader-followers pick their battles strategically. When minor things happen that bother them or aren’t a priority vis-à-vis the organizational mission, they realize the fight isn’t worth stepping into. However, when the mission is off track, ethics are not followed or values are violated, they are willing to step into battle.

Full story at SmartBlog on Leadership.

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