Who is Your #2?

chris-stapleton-morgane-cbs-sunday-interview

I’ve been thinking a lot about leadership lately because I overheard someone say “they’re not a good leader” in a 360 feedback session. It was something about how they said it that stuck with me. I’ve turned it over in my mind multiple times, because what makes a good leader? 

We all know there are different kinds of leadership styles, like the Autocrat, or the Inquisitor, the Persuader, the Participant, or the Facilitator. Each style has its own advantages and disadvantages, like the Autocrat excelling on the battlefield or the Facilitator building consensus over time.

Then, as I was watching a CBS Sunday Morning interview with Chris Stapleton, I had a particular insight.

A good leader has a #2. You can’t be a leader without a good follower.

Anecdotally, I came up with a few examples. Although Steve Jobs is a tired analogy, he had Wozniak willing to follow him at the beginning, but Sculley came in and wasn’t a great #2 follower. Tim Cook as COO, Bill Campbell on the board, and Jonathan Ive in design? Jobs was much more effective.

Or how about Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer at Microsoft? Sergey Brin and Eric Schmid? The old adage that behind every great man is a great woman? That’s what jumped out at me in that Chris Stapleton interview. At one point his wife, Morgane, is interviewed:

By his side throughout was his wife of nine years, Morgane. They met at his music publisher’s office when he caught her eye.

Strassmann asked, “Back in the day when you were smitten with him, waiting for him to notice you -”

“For the record, I am still very smitten,” she laughed.

“But did you imagine a day when so many people would also be smitten with him?”

“Yeah, I can’t believe it took so long,” Morgane said. [emphasis mine]

“She has an unwavering belief in me that I don’t even have,” Chris laughed. “So it really helps. She has enough belief for both of us.”

A good leader needs a good follower. A good #2. Someone that respects them explicitly, that helps them execute on the vision, and presents a unified front to the rest of the team. Maybe even running interference.

So Mr. or Mrs. Leader, who’s you’re #2?

And if you happen to be Mr. or Mrs. Follow, what are you doing to support your leader? There can’t be a third, or fourth or fifth follower without that number two running interference. Leadership effectiveness will always come from results, but those are easier to achieve with a strong #2.

Something to think about.

Good stuff.