‘People report to managers, but they follow leaders’ says Adam Bryant. For those who don’t like to distinguish between managers and leaders, they’ll struggle with such a comment, but I think there’s much truth in it. And it’s made me think again about my leading/managing and what we do at The Belfrey.
Management is important – managing people and resources – and turning vision into action. It’s important that people know who they report to, are accountable for their actions and know they’re doing a good job. But if people are to be highly motivated, work effectively, keep developing and stick around for the long-haul, they need to do more than just ‘report’ to someone. They need to be inspired by a vision. They need to be motivated by a cause. They need guidance from someone they sincerely respect. Someone who wants the best for them. Someone who not only embraces the vision but does so with integrity, perseverance and courage. That’s the kind of leader they will ‘follow’.
What about you? Do people just ‘report’ to you, or do they ‘follow’ you?
Leadership Blog 
This post is dead on. I have always believed that what people need most, and perhaps especially in my generation, is a purpose for their lives. A good leader can provide that for them, can show them the lasting significance of the contributions they are asked to make to the world. A good leader can make life worth living, and can make enduring hardship worthwhile. That isn’t the kind of person you just “report” to. That’s someone who grabs you by the heart. That’s someone you can follow.
Indeed. Maxwell has a good example of this by showing how leaders, based on a form of respect / effectiveness, will follow one another. So if you were a one, twos and threes would follow you, while fours and fives would follows the twos and threes. The diagram sort of looks like geese flying south for the winter. Enough with my silly analogies – you are correct.