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Zig Ziglar promised us that we\\u2019d get all we want in life if we helped enough other people get what they want. I didn\\u2019t realize how true this is. I had a conversation recently with someone that wants to be a leader. I feel for them because I think they want to skip over being a follower. The definition of a leader isn\\u2019t too hard. Do you have people following you? Are you the type of person that people want to follow?

Let\\u2019s walk through the goal setting framework mentioned by Zig Ziglar, Be, Do, Have. What do you want to have? The position of leader. What do you need to do to get this position as a leader? You need to get people to follow. What do you have to be to get people to follow? A person who people want to follow.

I know it sounds over simplified, but are you a person to follow? What does a person worth following look like to you? To me, it is a person willing to help. A person that\\u2019s honest and honorable. Someone who is what they say they are. Someone who thinks about my good as well as their good. I want to get the most out of me, so I\\u2019m drawn to people who want to get the most out of me also.

A leader gets the most out of the team. Jocko Willink and Leif Babin talk about this in their book, Extreme Ownership. There are no bad teams, only bad leaders. This is a hard one to accept. I want to blame others, to blame the environments, the pandemics, the politics, the company. Leader accepts responsibility and takes action to make it happen.  If you are a person wanting to lead, become a great follower. Do the work to help people succeed.

I found out that my son returns for a second shift to help his buddy. My son is assigned to wash up after breakfast as part of his work study at his boarding school. That\\u2019s all he has to do. He returns at lunch to help his buddy that has the same chore. He\\u2019s being a great follower, and I\\u2019m so proud. He doesn\\u2019t want to be leader. He steps up and does what needs to be done. He is first willing to help before asking others to help. He leads by example without even knowing. I find this beautiful.

You want to be a leader? Show up early and help the leaders in place get ready for the day. Be available. Be a life-long student. Have character. The world needs leaders who are willing to act.