Are you a leader?

A hermit . Much prefer just being able to do things myself, so I'm... a leader that doesn't like having followers?

This basically sums up my feelings on coordinating with other people, in any role:

Spoiler

 

That graph is so amazing!

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I am most definitely not a leader. I consider myself to be a good first-mate kind of person. I'm not exactly a follower, but I don't like being the person that it is completely in charge of something (too much responsibility for me). That being said, I still think for myself and stick to my own beliefs. When I follow someone, it's because I agree with their opinions and respect them as a person.

 

I'm more of a leader than a follower. I'm not really trying to be at all, I just always somehow end up in that position -- like in school projects and the like.

On top of that, I never just take over other people's opinions; I have my own strong opinions (and I doubt anyone could ever be able persuade me of the opposite :lol

I don't have a problem following, either, though. I don't mind if someone else takes the lead

 

I couldn't exactly do this admin stuff if I weren't a leader on some level, could I? I've often found I'm best suited for middle-management: I can lead other people pretty well, but I like having someone else to tell me what to do when I don't know where to go. I'm better at leading by example than by wielding power.

There's a story about leadership I like to tell. There's a lot of pressure in education to "make the leaders of tomorrow", so there's a lot of pressure on students to be leaders, even though that's patently absurd--if everyone were a leader, who would they be leading? Leadership is put on such a pedestal that admitting you're a follower is frowned upon in such an environment. Anyway, one of my dad's friend was filling out an application for his daughter for some kind of program for gifted students. There was a question on the application that asked, "Is you child a leader or a follower?" The dad thought about it for a while and checked off follower. His daughter was accepted into the program, and the acceptance letter included the line, "It will be good to have one follower in a class of 438 that includes 437 supposed leaders."

 

Yes, but I don't try to be, nor do I desire to be.

I'm a maverick in the truest sense of the word. I do my own thing, and don't really care what others think. I don't care, nor desire to be a leader. I just do what needs to be done and I respect the people around me. In turn they respect me and tend to follow my lead. I'm cool with that, yet at the same time if you want to go do your own thing I'm cool with that too.

The interesting thing is that this causes all kinds of problems at work with management. They don't understand why I don't desire to care to get promotions, or a more impressive title, or to increase my sphere of influence, and yet at the same time I am a leader.

I've been flat out told that I am defective because I don't seek opportunities for promotion or to increase my sphere of influence. I find that laughable. That just means that they don't get people like me, nor understand our value.

 

I prefer to be the person giving advice to the leader. So more like a counselor. However, when no amount of counseling could possibly ease the situation, I will take the reins of leadership, which I know I am quite capable of from the many projects I've done in university which all involves group work.

I tend to have a vision of the direction of where I want things to go, however I'm open for other opinions and perspectives. But they would have to have a good reason behind it before I would take it into consideration.

I also like to do things solo if given the chance as I am a bit of a perfectionist, but alas, on bigger projects I have no choice but to divide-and-conquer.

 

i do things more so for myself without the intention of leading anybody or having anyone follow me so i wouldn't say i'm a leader nor a follower. if you want to join me in whatever i'm doing, that's fine but i'm not someone which likes to lead the take and be the one responsible for other people. i also am someone that doesn't follow what others do since i like to do things my way.

 

I'm a leader, but I don't often want to be. I'm rarely 100% with decisions because I lack confidence and quiet because I'm afraid to have my voice heard. Despite this, when I want action, I go out and mobilize people.

I'm efficient, succinct (relatively), intelligent, sure to do a good job and I listen to the input of others. People do listen to me when I want something done but if not I tend to fade to the background, content to be a consultant to whoever is leading.

 

well...i would say im a follower who happens to gain other followers...lol

i have a tendency to think of myself as a shadow leader. someone who doesn't necessarily leads a groups but influences the leader to take what i see as the best possible action. so i lead from a place where no one sees me lead.

 

I don't really lead or follow; I tend to trailblaze. Which is fun and all, but you're always stuck having to convince people that you're not crazy and/or that what you're doing is important. It gets a bit old sometimes, so occasionally I just wait for people to catch on. I will lead (and have led) in certain situations though if it's clear that nobody else is going to step up and do so.

 

nah. I'm either a cavalier captain bligh or a sheep depending on circumstance.

 

Oh wow, nearly all of that applies to me, too. No one has ever flat out told me I'm defective because I don't seek out opportunities to do more glamorous things than what I'm doing right now, but I've been constantly pressured to do just that. And no one has ever stopped to ask me, "Are you happy where you are now?" Because if they had, I would have said yes.

If you don't mind me asking, how does it cause problems with your management at work? I just find it hard to fathom that someone not wanting to move up in the company could ever be problematic.

 

I don't fancy myself a leader, but in school I'm always feared as one by faculty. I'm no leader, I swear! I just bring people together, who otherwise, wouldn't even make an effort to hang out with one another (In middle school I brought all the nerdy/otaku kids together and unified them as a group, and just kind of watched over them for two and a half years). It's not really that I choose to do any of this, it seems more so to be my natural function, and I HATE IT. I don't want to lead, or unify, or any of that stuff! I just wanna be by myself!

People often look at me for advice too, which sort of creates a weird sense of emotional leadership and sometimes I wish I could shut my mouth or just say "hahaha idk" but I can't.

I guess to answer the original question: No, I'm not, but sometimes I'm perceived that way and it drives me bonkers!

 

Sometimes. If you mean on school projects and stuff like that, then yes. My "leadership style" on projects is basically my way or the highway. "This is what we're doing and if you don't like it, get out, or I'll do the project myself." I take no prisoners. I've never had anyone complain or tell me no, because they know it's going to be quality. In more "hands-on" situations, not so much. Like if I was with someone and I had a flat tire or something like that I wouldn't know the first thing to do, you know? I will however say that my friends and I are definitely trendsetters for this hovel hell known as our hometown, and that should count for something.

 

How did you find out about the invasion plans?!?!?!?

 

:roflmao::roflmao::roflmao: Fantastic!!

and a question, are you leader if you have no followers? or just delusional?

 

the voices in my head coming from the implanted alien microchip tell me that I should not answer that.

 

I'm a leader in the sense that I like to set my own path.

When I'm in a group, I'm more of a follower. Unless, of course, things get so off-track and out of control that I absolutely must put it right.

 

To be honest I don't understand why they have such a problem with. I think it is because they don't understand what motives me and that scares them.