I had the privilege of working for a leader whose philosophy was, “Let the stallions run, and let everyone else follow them.” It was a refreshing shocker to me. I had never before, nor have I since, worked for someone with that amazingly liberating approach to leadership. This philosophy made ponies want to be stallions. More than that, he told those in his charge, “If you’re a stallion, stop by my office and introduce yourself.” It was an invitation to be bold and identify yourself as an individual with a vision, focus, and direction. This leader’s favorite word was, “Awesome!” He was southern folk, so imagine how “Aouw-sum!” things were when he was around.
This kind of leadership inspired the best efforts anyone could hope to contribute. It got us all through times when things weren’t so awesome because of the hope generated by an approach with the right attitude to challenges that came our way.
That experience feels a little like Camelot now…the “good ol’ days” that I may never get to live again. It’s okay, though, because I did get to experience it once. I can relive it by being the type of leader who lets the stallions run.
