You Don't Have To Be Out Front To Lead

I went to see my daughter perform in the musical, Jungle Book, over the weekend.

Of course I'm so proud of her. She is typically quite shy and not comfortable on a stage. Yet there she was, dancing, singing, even saying a line or two. It was a fun performance.

As I looked around there was one person who was visibly absent - the director.

I kept looking around during the first half-hour of the show trying to spot him in the crowd or at the sound booth. Didn't see him anywhere.

I finally spotted him way back in the corner of the auditorium. He was sitting there enjoying the show along with everyone else. I thought to myself, "He must have a lot of confidence in the kids and the crew backstage to simply be sitting in the back as a spectator."

There was no doubt that he was the director of the show. My daughter had put in countless hours of preparation and he had guided all of the kids through that. He taught them about set design, stage presence, make-up, choreography, and timing. Lots of time and effort. And on the night of the big show...he was hidden.

The best leaders will be the ones who train, equip, and prepare their people...then get out of the way and let them go to work.

As I watched the performance unfold, I was so appreciative that the director understood what this whole evening was about - the kids, the performance, and the proud parents watching. The leader of the whole event got out of the way and let the kids shine.

Think about your own leadership. Think about the people on your team.

Do you always have to be up front?
Does the spotlight need to be on you?
Have you prepared and equipped your people to do what only they can do?