Leading People from the Middle

Book excerpt: First, you can't lead the way I lead. You wouldn't want to, and the people you lead wouldn't want you to either. The best leaders lead from their strengths. You want to lead in the way that works best for you. Only I can lead my way, and sometimes it's pretty bizarre. According to a fund-raising consultant, I'm not very presidential. I consider this high praise. We have to work within our basic dispositions to be effective. Unfortunately, a lot of parents, coaches, and inspirational speakers try to get us to believe otherwise. Commencements are breeding grounds for these aggrandizing lies, and it's the speakers who are doing the lying. Leading People from the Middle addresses 20th century leadership assumptions, the new dynamics of 21st-century leadership, and how leaders can change to meet the demands of today's organizations. Over the course of this book, the author, William P. Robinson discusses his understanding of leading from the middle as it refers to influencing from among, rather than from above, below, or in front of one's group. Leading from the middle refers to positioning ourselves alongside of those whom we've empowered, working shoulder to shoulder. It refers to living in the center of a mission, rather than simply lifting it up. He believes that leaders will set the standard and then work very hard to help their people achieve the group's goal.