Leadership is Like a Parade

Leadership is like a parade.

I have been in a few parades myself, playing the bass drum in my high school marching band. I thought about parades as long strings of people following each other. The leaders were the ones at the front; everyone else was a follower.

I have come to understand parades differently. There will be a parade tomorrow morning here in Southern California, but the leadership for this parade began more than a year ago. Parade leadership never ends.

Leadership is more than keeping people marching in line. It is more than dealing with breakdowns or getting floats around the corner at Orange Grove.

Leadership begins with recognizing values; our own personal values as well as the values of an organization. There is a constant process of remembering values and deepening our understanding. Our core values are what spark us to become truer to ourselves. Our core values are what make real leadership possible.

Each parade reflects the core values of the people participating in it. Some parades become drudgery as people do what they are required to do. Others really are celebrations.

The leaders who inspire me draw people into what they are leading. They begin taking a walk and, glancing back, realize they are leading a parade.

It takes a wide variety of different people to have a great parade.  There are all the people who build the floats, as well as the people who ride on them. There are all the members of all the marching bands, all the people on horseback. There are all the organizers and security staff and people who help clean up afterward.

Each of us is leading our own parade.

Enjoy the parade!

Where are you leading your parade today?

[Image by Dave Proffer]