Followship

Followship

The best leaders in the world are great followers.  In order to lead, you must know how to follow.

I surround myself with experts.  Each of these individuals is carefully selected – vetted through my own triple filtration system of “Knows it, teaches it, lives it.”  I was immediately struck by Dr. Guy Riekeman’s description of his Virtual Board of Trustees the first time that I heard him discuss it.  I realized that I had been consciously, but passively, assembling my own group of mentors and models – my board members.  In an effort to maximize my life, I now actively and deliberately seek out my advisors.  I am committed to good followship.

One of my board members died yesterday.

Because I had known him my whole life, he has sat in many chairs around my boardroom table.  He taught me how to ski, and how to be a better big brother, friend, husband and father.  He and my father were best friends, and I learned a lot about lifelong male friendships by simply watching the two of them enjoy each other.  He mentored me through college, opened his home to me while away at school, and always found time to take a poor college student out for a beer.

More recently, he had served as my financial advisor.  Steeped in knowledge and experience, his advice was always shrewd and direct.  I always appreciated his insight – even if his staunch conservatism seemed to dampen my pathological optimism.  Over time, his record stood on its own, and I grew to trust him implicitly.

If Steve said jump, I said “How high?” on the way up.

We shared a strong and sincere mutual admiration and respect.  But our dialogue was always flavored with a sarcastic recognition of the unilaterality in compliance to one another’s professional recommendations.  I followed his advice to the letter – and pleaded with him to follow mine.  I would consistently, although half-jokingly, needle him about his lack of reciprocation in following my recommendations for his health.  Don’t get me wrong – he certainly made an effort.  He quit smoking, lost weight and started exercising.

But truthfully, our lives today are extraordinarily demanding.  He was a man who carried great responsibility, and with that, the accompanying great mental stress.  As with our financial management, our health management requires extraordinary diligence.  We must deliberately gather and execute specific strategies and methods to maximize our return.  It is a science.  It is an active process.  And the world works against it.

If you find yourself in my crosshairs this week, know that I am going to let you have it.  You should also know that it has everything to do with you.  And you should take it personally.  I wish that I had another opportunity to spend time with Steve.  I won’t with him, but I will with you.  I will tell you what I wish that I could tell him:  I love you so much that I will do whatever it takes to help you move toward health with every choice, every day.

From within,

Dr. Stephen Franson