It was a simple game we played in Elementary School. One person was chosen as the leader. All the children lined up behind that leader, he or she moves around, and you follow and mimic whatever the leader does. If you fail to follow the leader's actions you are out of the game. The last one remaining is the new leader.

When you were a kid did you hate the game Follow the Leader. Did you like it more when you were the leader? Were you a lousy follower? Were you like me, the kid who usually broke the line and went off in a different direction? Were you like me, the first kid to quit when the leader continued to take you down the same path again and again - the path of no originality, no creativity, no risk, no excitement and no fun? Did the leader get pissed at you when you broke rank? When you were the leader did you go explore new paths, break the so-called rules, and meet head-on those obstacles you wanted the followers to get tangled up in? Were you like me, an explorer, not a leader? I'll bet there was always laughter and excitement when you were the leader. Occasionally I'm sure there was some whining and crying.

Fast forward "a few" years. One person is chosen as the leader. You line up behind that leader; he or she moves around, this time with an employee procedures manual in hand. You are still supposed to follow and mimic whatever the leader does. If you fail to follow the leader's actions the leader still gets pissed at you; except now you might be out of a job, your personnel record is blemished, or you are branded a bad employee. But here is the odd part.............all the other kids in the game - your customers and peers - think you're brilliant, a pioneer, or innovative. The leader and his or her counterparts have status meetings where your name is mentioned over and over. So few of the followers ever have their name mentioned in these meetings, but yours is. They argue over what to do with you. Some say to leave you alone. Others keep turning to that policy manual. They end up doing nothing about you, just like when you were a kid. The game continues. The last one remaining usually has their nose pressed right against the leader's butt and he or she will more than likely become the new leader. Their prize - a shiny new Employee Manual.

Follow the Leader is one of the few childhood games which remain with us as adults. The game is still the same - almost. There are still the Leaders. There are still the Followers; those mimicking in hopes of becoming the next leader. Then there are those who are still exploring new ways to attract new and different customers; searching out innovative and irreverent ways of doing business. Not everyone wants to be the leader; some just want to explore and seek out new ideas; especially when the organization is locked into ideas which are nothing but antiquated. This is very elementary for business success. Or should I say very Elementary School.

Rich DiGirolamo is a professional speaker from Wolcott, CT. He plays with employee minds and sends them off with fresh perspectives surrounding organizational change, organizational development and teamwork. To learn more about Rich please visit http://www.richdigirolamo.com or http://www.recessatworkday.com

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