"Children have never been very good at listening to their elders, but they have never failed to imitate them." ~ James Baldwin.
I don't believe leadership is ever accidental. I do believe, however, that people have the power to determine how leadership is received, and ultimately followed. This idea - coined the Shadow Phenomenon in the book Winning Teams-Winning Cultures by pioneering organizational behavior scientists Larry Senn and James Hart - is what Baldwin is referencing.
Many of us find ourselves in positions of leadership in our professional or personal lives. One question we may want to think about asking ourselves, as we reflect on own leadership styles is "Am I casting a shadow of leadership that will reflect a positive or negative response from my team?".
If you get a chance this week, see how your leadership shadow is being received by those you work with. Let us know what you discover.
