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Leadership is more than winning. Leadership knows how to stage yourself and teams for success. Sometimes being a fast follower is the pace to keep. Sometimes pacing behind a leader allows you to draft and overtake them at the right moment. In both cases, it’s a conscious choice.
When I ran cross country in school, I always placed 3rd or 4th. The 1st and 2nd place runners were still miles ahead of me. I had a friendly competition for 3rd place with all the “middle” packs of runners. Sometimes, the leaders would run short and leave an opening for a 2nd place finish. In cross country, that was good enough for me.
I am all about the first-place finishes in business, even if that means pacing behind the pack to overcome a first-place competitor. The difference is I am not looking for the leader. I am a leader in making choices.
Many factors can hold you back. In Auto Racing, we focus on the drivers, but teams determine a winner. Not enough equipment, the wrong setup, a poorly timed pitstop, or just a bad day can lose the race. Never forget that when you choose to hold back for a better shot at the win, you are making a choice. We focus on the driver, but it’s the team.
Your team wants to know you can come through when the time is right. That takes selling. A real leader sells…
