Leadership — Nathaniel Laroche

This is a cornerstone of my leadership style: Leaders raise Leaders. Here is how I define this concept: as a leader it is my job to find and train the next leader to take my spot. Let me give you some examples. As a Business Systems Analyst I was an individual contributor but I felt it was my duty to fine the next individual who could take on the business I supported, the experience I garnered and the knowledge that I had accumulated in that role to ensure that once I left (either promoted or moved to a new company all together) that the overall business would not skip a beat. As a Vice President and in a formal leadership position it is not only my duty to lead my team with a vision but to ensure there is a leader in waiting, someone who can step-up at a moments notice to maintain and even grow the team's momentum.

Leadership to me is about growing leaders for your role so you can move to the next role. This is how leaders raise leaders.

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Leadership is important. However the ability to recognize when to be a Follower is arguably more important. Have you heard the term, "Too many chiefs, not enough indians"? Or perhaps, "Too many cooks in the kitchen"? There should be one leader for an effort and to recognize who that is and what one needs to do to ensure the success of that leader and thus the larger team is important. An important note here, that leader doesn't have to have the biggest title or get paid the most in the room, there should be times that the leader is that individual contributor or middle manager and at those times the executive in the room need to be the follower. In the end the ability to identify when to be a Follower is perhaps one of the most important Leadership qualities.