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1st Step to Leadership


7 Steps to becoming a great Leader

            #1: Follow

I believe all great leaders start off as great followers. The word follower has received a bad rap, but it is an essential part of becoming a great leader. Following is what we do as children. You see people walking, talking and interacting with their environment and you mimic them. As we get older the same principles hold true.  You need someone to get you started on your path to leadership.

            My first piece of advice is: find a mentor. When people think of a mentor, they always think it has to be someone they know or see on a regular basis. This is not true at all. Many of the people I consider mentors, I have never met. This may seem silly but here is list of people I follow and study: Jay-Z, Bruce Lee, Eric Thomas, Michael Jordan, Les Brown, Bob Proctor, Daniel Pink. I have never met any one of these people but I have read their books or studied some aspect for their life. They have inspired me and motivated me to do things I would have never thought possible. To me that is what a mentor does. They create a path and live in a way that others inspire to follow. The ironic thing is most great leaders don’t seek followers; followers seek them. I am sure Michael Jordan set out to be the greatest basketball player for him and in the process he changed the game forever. All great leaders are willing to travel their path alone but because of their passion and purpose others chose to follow in hopes to learn their ways.

            Anyone can be your mentor. I have so many people that inspire me and push me every day. My family is stacked with people that have mentored me at times. My dad and grandfather are probably two of the greatest mentors a young man could ever dream to have.  I have also learned tons of great things from students and clients. A great teacher is always willing to learn from their students. Always be on the lookout for new opportunities to learn and be mentored.

            My last piece of advice is; Build your network. The ONLY reason I have had any success in my industry is because I have met some amazing people. My network of friends have guided me and aided me in my quest. I would be nothing without them. We all follow and lead each other. When one is down we pick them up and when one is too high, we give them a dose of reality, ha. This follow/lead, mentor/pupil relationship is what our group Next Generation is all about. We believe that all ships rise with the tide. If we can lead now, hopefully others will follow. We can provide a path for those who are lost in the industry, with the hopes that one day they will become great leaders and we could follow them. To me, a great leader is not someone who has a ton of people following them; a great leader creates great leaders.

-FLO

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