The 100X Leader

10Someone Worth Following

A Sherpa on Mount Everest has authority. Climbers listen to their Sherpas intently and respond to their instructions. Why? Because they have been to the top—the Sherpa know the mountain like the back of their hands, and the respect they have earned gains them influence. With this influence, the Sherpa responsibly and diligently guides their climbers, who are grateful, for without the Sherpa their chances of success are much smaller. The Sherpa are rightly revered and effectively lead people to make the right decisions in very challenging circumstances.

Climbers trust the competency of their Sherpa—their very lives are in their hands. Climbers trust their integrity, and they know it’s not an ego issue. Because Sherpa have no personal agenda or need to win for their own glory, they are free to help people fulfill their potential and stay alive on the mountain.

We all need Sherpas in different times of our lives to help us get to the higher levels in our leadership journey. We need leaders who will not shirk from calling us up, nor will they abdicate when we need to climb harder. A few of us have been blessed to have a Sherpa at times in our lives, but most of us haven’t, which is why we need more of the right kind of leaders in our world.

Sherpas are a prime example of leaders worth following. We simply need more examples—more people committed to fighting for the highest possible good of others.

Healthy cultures require this.

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