The Halo Follows the Work

A man stands in front of a mirror, carefully fitting a halo over his head.

He straightens it. Adjusts the brightness. Tucks the wires out of sight.

Then he turns around and says:

“Call me a leader.”

We want leadership so badly that we’ve started manufacturing its appearance.

Speak confidently.

Be assertive.

Own the room.

Project authority.

Much of what passes for leadership advice reads like assembly instructions for a DIY halo.

Have you ever seen a manager become angry when someone challenges a decision?

Suddenly, the conversation becomes about respect, and the question that started it goes unanswered.

Everyone in the room learns which questions are safe to ask.

After a while, people stop pushing back. They nod, even when they disagree.

From the head of the table, that can look a lot like leadership.

The manager has removed the disagreement and mistaken its absence for belief.

And everyone else is stuck in the leadership show, expected to play their part.

But leadership can be performed. The willingness to follow cannot.

A real halo forms when people see someone advancing a mission worth believing in.

They contribute their effort, their judgment, sometimes years of their lives.

Together, they accomplish something none of them could have built alone.

The halo follows the work.

We keep trying to install it first.

#Talroo #Leadership #Trust #SharedVision