Dancing Guy

If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader. — John Quincy Adams

“A leader without followers is simply a man taking a walk,” is a quote from John Boehner, clearly seen in the video. [1] The old video showed a stranger dancing spontaneously to what appears to be a gathering of the sort. It can be seen that there was nothing noteworthy in his dance movements as onlookers proceeded to ignore him for a couple of minutes. But everything changed when a stranger decided to join and dance with him. The first follower then convinced two more people to dance with him, resulting in a crowd of dancing people that influenced the bystanders.

This seemingly innocent video hides a deep essence of leadership. Just as what stated in the video, a man is just an average person, a loser, and a nobody without his follower. Contrary to popular belief that a leader must be an excellent individual, what makes a leader a key figure is that they have a follower who incites others to follow him. The first follower is the true leader, as the succeeding members only emulate what the first follower does which is to copy the leader. In line with this, a leader must never forget to treat their first follower equally since their first believer will mainly influence other people.

As a cadet, this video resonates significantly with us. It teaches us the fundamental values that a leader must possess. An effective leader is just a person who gains a follower. Hence they must treat each member as an equal and not as someone inferior. As stated in the video, the first guy was deemed a ‘loser’ for suddenly exhibiting strange behaviors, but it changed when a random guy followed him.

As future police officers, we must remember the importance of appreciating our humble beginnings. This enables us to have a more realistic outlook on things, unaffected by the position we uphold, and see others without contempt. It also creates a better rapport with our fellow policemen, policewomen, and civilians.

A leader who is open to criticism and goes out of their way to treat each member equally, is a good leader. By being reminded of the importance of the member’s perspectives, they make better decisions that benefit not only themselves but also the group in a majority. Let us not be blinded by our ego brought by sitting in a high position as the members are what make an unseemly nobody, into an influential somebody.

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[1] Spinney, K. (2021, November 20). How to be a Leader without Followers. Katherine Spinney Coaching LLC. https://katherinespinney.com/leader-without-followers/