Aspiring Leader, You’re Reading the Wrong Books

Amazon.com currently shows 357,308 book results for “leadership.” If you’re in the workplace world, you likely get frequent leadership book recommendations from your co-workers and contemporaries. If you want lessons on leadership, there is no shortage of expert written advice. You’re only a few chapters away from the corner office, right?

Statistically speaking, the odds of you actually becoming The Leader are exceptionally slim. You will not be the next great CEO of the next great company. Your business card will not read The One In Charge Of Everything. No one will buy your tell-all book detailing your rise to the top.

Of course, we all lead something or someone, even if only for a short season. But most of us are far more likely to become followers, middle managers, and support staff. We will be in the trenches. We will get our hands dirty carrying out the vision of exceptional leaders. And while it is decidedly non-sexy to say so, I firmly believe that there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. Because it takes a team full of all sorts of roles to pull off extraordinary work. And leaders aren’t actually leaders if no one is following.

So the question is, where are the 357,308 books on being an amazing support employee?