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Yesterday, I reminded another client that his team is mostly following him without thinking. This is normal and this is yet another reason why high performing teams are so rare. Most humans simply play “follow the leader” at work. Truth be told, most leaders like it this way. Do you really think JoePa wanted a bunch of assistants challenging his thinking? Nope, not a chance.

Today, at your place of work, I would like to challenge you, if you’re a leader, to ask your team to hit you with something that you’re missing. See what they come up with. Do not take it as a compliment if they come up shooting blanks. This doesn’t mean you’re cool. Most likely this means that your teammate is either asleep or chicken shit.

The strongest leades dredge up the most conflict. The strongest followers don’t need to be coerced. This requires the courage, on both behalfs, to take up residence not in “blinderville or victimhood.” This requires that you take up residence “just this side of chaos.”

Model the way, young leader. Demand that your followers are awake and oriented time four. Demand that your followers are thinking and challenging yours. You will have more conflict than most. Conflict is not the problem. The problem is the conflict that Y.O.U. have yet to discover.

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