A Tale of Two Leaders

Alexander the Great said that “An army of sheep led by a lion is better than an army of lions led by a
sheep”.  Ever wondered what he meant by that? A lion is an excellent leader, so a group of sheep led
by a lion will be far more successful than a whole group of lions led by a sheep.  Lions lead, sheep follow.
  

Leaders come in many shapes and sizes.  They lead in many different ways. But, what makes a leader
a great leader?  What makes a leader a lion?

A few years ago I worked for a gentleman (let’s just call him Mr. D).  Mr. D commanded respect when
he walked in the room. I mean, you knew he was the boss when you met him.  He had a loud
boisterous tone, he spoke in a manner that never questioned, but implied you were to listen and obey. 
It was rare that I ever had any run-ins or even conversations with him because he also preferred to
stay in his office sitting behind his desk.  He was never engaged. He was rarely involved. His idea
was that if you were doing your job, he shouldn’t have to be bothered. So, nobody wanted to bother
him!  You want your boss to believe you can do your job. You want him to believe you’re competent
enough to not need him. He needs to know that you can make decisions and the right choices to keep
things running smooth.  

The man made some good points and I wouldn’t call him a bad leader or a bad boss.  However, I can’t
say I would call him a great leader or a great boss either. He led with an old-school style that doesn’t
work very well anymore.  Many would have and still would call him a lion of a leader, but I think he’s just
a lowly sheep. He likes the status of being the one in charge and the respect that is required with the
position.  Did I think he was great? No. Did I respect him? Yes. But, I only respected him due to his
position. He wouldn’t have even faulted me for that because that’s all it was to him.  

I worked with this family at the time.  The mother had presented some concerns and brought to my attention. 
These were concerns that were far beyond the realm of my position. I had to bring the situation to my
boss’ attention and I went seeking guidance from him.  He knew the family and had known them for many
years. He knew the history, he knew their personalities and the way they would react to the solution I
would present them.  He offered no advice, he shared none of the history, and I was dismissed very
quickly. The situation was handled and there were no concerns to note, but that’s just an example of how
well I was able to do my own job, even though it took hours and days longer than it could have, had he
chosen to lead in that situation.

Jump ahead in time to today.  Today I work for a lion. This man is a leader.  This man takes time every
single day to get to know something about each person who works for him so that he can place them in
the right position.  He wants his employees to be motivated and encouraged and lifted up. He knows that
in order to serve the community, he has to do this. He works daily, diligently to seek out the new leaders
for tomorrow and he takes them under his wing and is always offering words of advice and wisdom.  He
isn’t afraid of failure and you’ll seldom find him behind a desk. He cares. He motivates. He inspires.  

It boggles my mind sometimes.  The job that I did at my previous place of employment was more along
the lines of the type of job I enjoy, but the boss…..  I was never inspired. The job I do now is still a job I
enjoy, but the lion I work for! His leadership skills create more than a “job”.  He creates an entire
atmosphere. Whether he believes that I have the potential to do more or not, he makes me feel it.  

Recently, I had to work with a parent who has proven in the past and continues to prove himself frustrating,
difficult and mind-blowingly obnoxious.  I could have easily passed this one off to the boss. Did my lion let
me pass the situation off to him? No. He built me up. He gave me all the history and background I
needed to handle the situation.  He offered ideas, suggestions and gave me the approval to make any
last minute decisions that may come up.  

This is the kinda guy you wanna work for.  This man is a servant leader.  

I guess we all have our different preferences, but this is the guy that’s gonna stand behind you 100%. 
He’s gonna be there for you. He will support you and train you to be the next leader.