Lemmings & Leaders

Are you a Lemming or a Leader?

Lemming - A member of a crowd with no originality or voice of his own. One who speaks or repeats only what he has been told. A tool. A cretin.
(www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=lemming)

Leader - One who takes initiative, sets direction, makes decisions that lead to effective personal and corporate fulfillment of purpose.

Fred Smith was a Christian Business man who started the enormously successful FEDEX. When he was considering hiring a man for a key role in that business he would say, 'Lets go to lunch, you drive.'

If on that trip the prospective hire simply followed the crowd, got in line, waited at all the traffic lights like all the other drivers, his opportunity for employment ended right then.

On the other hand, if he actively sought an alternative route that did not require wasting time in lines of traffic, he was accorded the next step in the selection process. He may or may not get the job but he at least put himself in the running.

The Application - Leaders get things done. They are focused on an objective and they take steps to achieve that in the most ethical and expeditious manner. They do not follow the crowd. They are not 'aggressive', which is often abusive and rude. They are 'assertive', which means they almost always choose a path that is economic (time) and effective (accomplishes a specific objective).

Are you a Lemming or a Leader?