Leaders Go Last

“It is better to lead from behind and to put others in front, especially when you celebrate victory when nice things occur. You take the front line when there is danger. Then people will appreciate your leadership.” — Nelson Mandela

Conventional thinking is that leaders should go first, and our idioms reflect that belief: leaders chart the course, they blaze new trails, they model the way, they position themselves at the front of the pack, and they lead by example. People “lead an organization by being the face of it”; organizations assign “team leaders” as the ones who are accountable; we “lead” efforts, initiatives, and organizations when we are put in charge of them. And we expect that the best leaders will hold themselves to the highest standards, take responsibility for errors, and never expect their followers to do things that they themselves wouldn’t do—further examples of “going first.”

However, sometimes there’s a real benefit to going last as a leader.

A few examples underscore this point. The best leaders, taking a cue from the concept of “servant leadership,” put their followers’ needs before their own. A good captain takes care of the passengers first and, if necessary, “goes down with the ship.” In values-driven organizations, senior executives will ensure that staff compensation and bonuses are paid out first.

There are any number of simple (though symbolically powerful) ways that we can “go last” as leaders:

• Make an extra effort to provide visibility and recognition to your team members when they do a great job—especially to your own boss.
• Take one of the less attractive parking spaces, not the best one reserved for VIPs.
• Sit somewhere other than the head of the table.
• Roll up your sleeves and do the least desirable part of the job yourself.
• Show up “in the trenches,” like on a Saturday when your team is struggling with a deliverable or crisis.
• Use “we” instead of “I.” (Except in situations such as “I’m the one who made that mistake.”)

Once you think about the value of “going last,” you’ll find lots of opportunities to do so—and going last can send a powerful message about your values and intentions as a leader. What followers most want is to be part of something that has a higher purpose; that recognizes them for their contributions and value as human beings; and that results in outcomes that are beneficial to all, not just the bosses.

There is one specific instance of “going last” that’s worth noting. It may not be as obvious as some of the examples above—but the potential upside is even more exciting. And that is going last in meetings.

As leaders, we feel it’s our job to set the meeting agenda, lead the discussion, facilitate the dialogue, and drive to the conclusions. While the leader is ultimately accountable for ensuring an effective meeting, sometimes the best way to get that outcome is, paradoxically, by NOT being the person who speaks first or most.

If it’s your meeting, consider some non-traditional approaches. Assign one of your direct reports the job of developing the agenda and leading the meeting. (Some good leaders even rotate the meeting leader role among the team members, meeting to meeting.) Be aware of the power and gravity of your position and try not to be the first to make a suggestion or raise an idea. (Let’s face it: if you’re the boss and you say, “shall we serve Chinese food at that client event?” there’s not much upside to anyone else arguing for Italian or Mexican.) Work hard not to dominate the discussion: once you’ve taken it in a certain direction, that’s the direction it’s almost certainly going to go.

Try going last in your meetings. Let everyone else have their say—invite them to share perspectives, present ideas, and take the discussion to areas you may not have planned to go. Demonstrate curiosity. Ask open-ended questions to foster conversation. Adopt phrases such as “Can you tell us more about that?” and “What other points of view have we failed to consider?”

There are many advantages to “going last” in your meetings, including:

• It gives your team the opportunity to take a crack first—which provides you with incredible insights into how they are thinking about the business, which you can then leverage to coach and develop them.
• You provide them an opportunity to practice leading in a safe environment That stretches them and also gives them confidence and helps build their own “executive presence."
• Going last allows you to focus instead on playing a more Socratic role, which is the best way to see things differently and push the team to challenge assumptions and innovate.
• If you go last, you can summarize what you’ve heard before you propose a conclusion, which means you can synthesize and validate and that the group will feel like co-authors.
• Every once in a while, if you wait to go last you’ll learn something you didn’t know or hadn’t thought of before—so then you’ll look even smarter!

There are certainly times when we should lead from the front. We must step forward when there is danger or injustice; we should model the way to facilitate honest conversations and make difficult decisions; and sometimes we need to climb up on the balcony and remind everyone of what we’re doing and why it matters. Don’t fail to rise to those occasions.

But remember, too, that sometimes there’s a lot to be said for going last.

I’d love to hear your experiences or insights:  newsletter@nevinsconsulting.com .

Follow me on LinkedIn . Check out my website  or some of my other work here .