I enjoy the poem, The Road Not Taken, by Robert Frost. The famous verse from that poem, "Two roads diverged in a wood, and I - I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference," always speaks to my heart.

That verse seems to make a simple, yet prophetic difference, between the actions of leaders and the actions of followers.  

Leaders take the road less traveled, even if it isn't popular or trendy. Followers are willing to grab at the first shiny thing they see and aren't looking to distinguish themselves from the crowd.

Here are five common differences between followers and leaders from a LinkedIn article (Harold H. 9/9/2020)

1. Courage and Commitment - A leader depends on his/her courage. A follower struggles to find their spine and is often wishy-washy.

2. Passion - Passion drives leaders farther than their own expectations. Followers are rarely passionate about anything that would distinguish them from the heard.

3. Respect and Honor - Leaders respect truth and serve others with distinction. Followers have no desire to seek the truth unless it benefits their interests.

4. Awareness and Empathy - Leaders are self-aware and know their strengths and weaknesses. Followers track with the group and pursue whatever attracts their attention.

5. Humility and Acceptance - Leaders are humble enough to ask for help and advice. Followers will "fake it until they make it" so as not to appear weak and vulnerable.  

It's been said that true leaders don't create followers, they create more leaders. They create those leaders by how they conduct themselves, by being honest and humble, by leading by example, and by admitting their mistakes when they are wrong. 

Please check out the video below about how former Best Western chairman, Roger Mathis, compared leadership to the actions taken by Alice in the story, Alice In Wonderland.

​Also, leave me a comment about what other differences you see between leaders and followers.

Katrina "Kat" Cole has been successful wherever she has worked. From her start as a hostess at a Hooters restaurant, she parlayed that opportunity to rise to the position of vice president of training and development for Hooters at 26 years of age.

In 2011, she was named president of Cinnabon and currently serves as president and chief operating officer for Athletic Greens.

One of the things Cole credits for her success is a model of fair, open, and honest communication among her team.  She achieves the benefits of that communication by having a two-way check-in with her direct reports every month (including her husband).

The major component of that check-in is the following six questions that she and her team ask each other (this is two-way communication):

1. What is the best thing that has happened in the last 30 days?

2. What is the worst thing that has happened in the last 30 days?  

3. How can I be a better ____________? (boss, partner, teammate, coach, subordinate, etc.)

4. What worries you the most?

5. What are you most proud of?

6. What are you most grateful for?

How much better would the personal and professional relationships in your life be if you spent a few minutes each month discussing these six questions with the people you interact with the most?  

Leave me a comment about the communication techniques you use in your personal and professional life and how those techniques have improved your relationships.  

Please check out my latest audio recording from The Twinspiration Podcast With Ashley & Aspen Somers. You can listen to the podcast by clicking on the AUDIO PODCASTS & RADIO INTERVIEWS button at the top of this page, then click on the PODCAST INTERVIEWS tab and scroll down and click on The Twinspiration Podcast tab.