Many of you who read this blog are leaders in your own right. You may not be the top dog or the one who others look to for leadership. You are a leader because you are a mother, a father, a member of a board or hold some other position that helps an organization operate. Some of you have the gift to make the number one person look good by being a great number two.
I have a pastor friend who shared a book with me called, "Success for the Second in Command" by Billy Hornsby. I want to share some it with you and show you that you are important to the person operating in the number one spot in him or her being successful. I also want to show you that a successful number one person needs a person in the second chair in order to succeed. But there are also some roadblocks that keep numbers twos from being successful.
From the book:
Good number twos make up for the weaknesses of their leaders. They complement, accentuate, fill up, and add value to their leaders in every situation.
What makes the number two position difficult is often caused by the environment we grow up in. For the most part, we live in an egotistical world that only looks out for...that's right number one. Sometimes the person in the number one position grew up in an environment that reinforced looking out for number one and they will lead from that environment.
Once you have decided that you will accept being the number two person even if the number one person is self-centered here are some things to consider:
As number two, your success is affected by the success or failure of the leader.
As number two, you are expected to put someone else's agenda above your own.
As number two, you put your ego in check and sometimes bench certain abilities and talents.
As number two, your momentum is canceled when the boss changes directions or procedures without notice.
Here is some wisdom from John Maxwell.
Questions the Number Two Should ask about the Number One
* Do I respect number one? Does he or she respect me?
* Do I like being around him or her?
* Do I agree with he vision or purpose of the enterprise?
* Can I grow in this setting?
* Do I complement his or her gifts?
* Can I accomplish more under this person or by myself?
* Does this person believe in me?
* Does my leader support me?
* Will my leader add value to my life?
* Does this leader have my best interest at heart?
Here are a couple I would add:
* How does this person respect those he or she serves?
* Does this person believe in the people he or she serves?
* Does this person have a history of equipping, empowering and releasing others to service?
* Has the organization this person leads experienced any real growth under this person's leadership?
In other words, will this be a one-way street where you do all the giving, make all the sacrifices, and take the rap for failures? Or will you be elevated, encouraged, and acknowledged for your contributions? It will only work if the number one values you as a person and will respect you and give you opportunities to be creative and find significance.
One last thing from the book:
Leaders you don't want to work for are the controlling, insecure leaders who micro-manage every aspect of your life. It is also very difficult to thrive in an environment where the leader is incompetent and unable to lead the organization. It is not your job to fix this kind of leader; rather, it is your job to add value and use your leadership gift to try to help them lead.
I have a pastor friend who shared a book with me called, "Success for the Second in Command" by Billy Hornsby. I want to share some it with you and show you that you are important to the person operating in the number one spot in him or her being successful. I also want to show you that a successful number one person needs a person in the second chair in order to succeed. But there are also some roadblocks that keep numbers twos from being successful.
From the book:
Good number twos make up for the weaknesses of their leaders. They complement, accentuate, fill up, and add value to their leaders in every situation.
What makes the number two position difficult is often caused by the environment we grow up in. For the most part, we live in an egotistical world that only looks out for...that's right number one. Sometimes the person in the number one position grew up in an environment that reinforced looking out for number one and they will lead from that environment.
Once you have decided that you will accept being the number two person even if the number one person is self-centered here are some things to consider:
As number two, your success is affected by the success or failure of the leader.
As number two, you are expected to put someone else's agenda above your own.
As number two, you put your ego in check and sometimes bench certain abilities and talents.
As number two, your momentum is canceled when the boss changes directions or procedures without notice.
Here is some wisdom from John Maxwell.
Questions the Number Two Should ask about the Number One
* Do I respect number one? Does he or she respect me?
* Do I like being around him or her?
* Do I agree with he vision or purpose of the enterprise?
* Can I grow in this setting?
* Do I complement his or her gifts?
* Can I accomplish more under this person or by myself?
* Does this person believe in me?
* Does my leader support me?
* Will my leader add value to my life?
* Does this leader have my best interest at heart?
Here are a couple I would add:
* How does this person respect those he or she serves?
* Does this person believe in the people he or she serves?
* Does this person have a history of equipping, empowering and releasing others to service?
* Has the organization this person leads experienced any real growth under this person's leadership?
In other words, will this be a one-way street where you do all the giving, make all the sacrifices, and take the rap for failures? Or will you be elevated, encouraged, and acknowledged for your contributions? It will only work if the number one values you as a person and will respect you and give you opportunities to be creative and find significance.
One last thing from the book:
Leaders you don't want to work for are the controlling, insecure leaders who micro-manage every aspect of your life. It is also very difficult to thrive in an environment where the leader is incompetent and unable to lead the organization. It is not your job to fix this kind of leader; rather, it is your job to add value and use your leadership gift to try to help them lead.
Most of us will never be the number one person in an organization but many of us will have the opportunity to be a number two. Our job as number two is to make the number one successful and look good. But before we can do that we must understand and embrace the dream and goals of the number one. Above understanding and embracing the dream of number one we must know that number one believes and has trust in us in order for us to handle his or her weaknesses. If we sense that they do not respect or believe in us that will eventually erode our ability to continue moving forward because without a sense of respect and belief our support for the dream of number one will erode.
My encouragement to you is to interview the number one person as if they were going to be hired by you. If you do not like the answers they give to questions that are important to you then you probably do not want to join them in their organization even though the position matches all of the things you have dreamed about.
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