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Hello everyone, welcome to today’s Five-Minute Leader. Today, I want to talk about the idea of leading from the front versus leading from the back.
I think for the past few years, we've really been emphasizing this idea of leading from the back, and now I think we're moving much more toward leading from the front again. So what is the difference between these two, and why is this shift actually happening?
The idea of leading from the back usually means that, as a leader, you play more of a supportive role. You encourage your employees to step forward. You're the cheerleader, rallying them from behind. You're supporting them, pushing them, and you're not that typical flag carrier in front of the team, delegating, controlling, or setting the vision. Instead, you’re playing more of a mentorship role, making small course corrections from behind.
This approach was very relevant and common during the pandemic and even a little before it. There was a lot of talk about servant leadership—leaders at the bottom of the pyramid instead of the top. However, we’re starting to see a shift, and I don’t think that’s a bad thing.
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