In her blog post  Christina discusses leaders and those who follow them.  She asks “Have you personally experienced the stark differences between a leader and a manager? How did it impact the work/change/difference that you produced?”

As a follower within an organization, my position was distant or removed from the influence of the person in leadership.  From my perspective, this occurred because the leader was able rely on several successful managers.  The impact it had on me as a follower was that I became focused on two things, meeting the goals of the manager, and achieving my own personal goals.  Of course it was important for me to do quality work but I don’t recall that my focus was ever on the larger goals of the organization.  In the end, I didn’t stay to contribute to the organization as long as I may have, I moved on to further achieve my own personal goals.

I really appreciate this question and find myself challenged to ensure that as my leadership role expands, I maintain the ownership of how the organizational goals are promoted and developed among the followers.  Thanks Christina.