Reply #6: Yes.

[LWolf]

I'm a loner. I'm also a leader. As a loner, I'm incredibly independent. I don't follow trends, or subscribe to conventional wisdom, or cultural norms or patterns. I am truly outside the box.

Professionally, I am a strong leader. I don't speak up much at staff meetings. I'm a loner, and I tend to be pretty blunt. I intimidate people, because I call it like I see it, and I see too many conventional "norms" that are bullshit.

So...how does that make me a leader? I don't speak up, unless someone is suggesting policy that intrudes on my choices. I let people go their own way without judgement, as long as I can do the same. I'm highly successful. I have more training, and more specialized experience than most. They come to me with questions, etc.. I share freely. When I look around the place, I see many systems I designed for myself that were slowly adopted by others, without any suggestions from me, that are now standard. Is that leadership? To go your own way, share freely and liberally with those who ask, and leave everyone else alone as long as they stay off your patch? It may not sound like it, but I'm considered a "site leader" anyway. That means that I am called on to do staff development on a regular basis, and my area is a "demonstration" area for anyone who wants to pop in and observe.

Interestingly, a favorite horse trainer of mine calls it "passive leadership." His discussion is all about inter- and intraspecies interactions, but I find it instructive:

<snip>

Now, having said that, I also believe that it is important to note that most "herd" mammals are all set up pretty much the same way (this includes us humans). The herd starts with the "alpha", the one with all the power, then moves progressively downward. Somewhere in the middle of the herd structure are what I refer to as passive leaders. These are animals, (whether human, horses, buffalo, deer, etc..) that simply try to get along with everybody in the herd. They aren't necessarily interested in moving up the "alpha" ladder, because they are content at their position within the herd. These passive leaders are usually very quiet in their day to day activities, and as a result, begin to gain the confidence of the other members of the herd.

Because horses are passive and quiet by nature, they will naturally want to spend more time with the individuals in the herd that cause them the least amount of stress throughout the day. The reason the passive leaders are causing the least amount of stress, is because they are dependable in their actions. They seldom, if ever, use force to get their way, and seem to lead by example. Where ever they go, the rest of the herd willingly follows.


http://www.markrashid.com/CTHArticlePassiveLeadership2.html