A Good Leader Can’t Get Too Far Ahead of his Followers.
About six months ago, this quote from President Franklin D. Roosevelt came to me.
"A good leader can’t get too far ahead of his followers."
In thinking about how to educate others about the important issues of the day (peak oil, global warming, economic instability, etc.), it concept is essential.
Many of my attempts to get the word out regarding peak oil have failed. The reason? I have failed to start from where the the people were at.
Peak oil is really an issue about gas prices. In fact, those of us attempting to raise awareness and understanding about peak oil should focus on gas prices, and constantly tie things back to gas prices. People understand gas prices. They see them in big, bold letters practically every day. They fill their tank. They drive their car. They hear about it on the TV, radio and in print. Gas prices is what peak oil is all about.
"A good leader can’t get too far ahead of his followers."
In other words, what do the people want to learn about? What do they feel they need to know? That is the starting point. Start there, and wind peak oil into the conversation. Keep tying the conversation back to daily concerns... and daily activities.
Peak oil is impacting everything, right now, so lead by following the thinking of the learners.
* Gas prices
* Food prices
* New car sales
* The losses of the domestic automakers
* Rising inflation
* The unemployment rate
* Costs of medical insurance
* Where to invest
* Housing sales and costs
* Mortgage rates
* Etc.
Think long and hard about what the people have on their mind, and then start from there. Answer their questions, but in the answering, leave a deeper question unanswered. Each time one question is answered, set up the next reasonable question. Loop back to the central issue of gas prices, and then go off in another direction, tying in another related question.
"A good leader can’t get too far ahead of his followers."
I fall into this trap a lot. I know so much, that I forget that others don't know what I'm talking about. Start from where they are, and most importantly, be willing to lead them just as far as they are willing to go... but leave them with that next question that will beg them to go one step farther.
One method that can be used is getting it out there in advance. In the field of education, we call this "activating prior knowledge". Have the people think about, discuss, write down, or in some way bring to mind what they know about the issue. Then, start from where they are, and answer the one central question, while setting up the next question to come into their mind.
This reminds me of a good suspense movie. Each scene sets up the curiosity about the next. In this way, we look forward to the next bit, and look closely for the clues. The movies can teach us something. Not only do they present a way to keep people interested, but they give an idea of how much a person can take in, and comprehend. The best movies leave us thinking, and discussing, afterwards. They leave us wanting to learn more.
Humans, after all, are curiosity engines -- learning machines. It is in our very nature, the nature of all animals, to seek understanding and to answer questions in our own mind. Curiosity is innate, natural, and universal. Curiosity is what we need to reach in order to help people learn something new, and to extend their thinking.
"A good leader can’t get too far ahead of his followers."
This message is one that we can all learn from. Think of the best runner on a team, trying to help the others to improve. It does no good for the best one to run way ahead. The team will accept a challenge, but a challenge is only real if it is realistic. The best runner, in helping the team, will run just a few paces ahead, and encourage the team mates that they can do it.
To help people understand peak oil, we must first address gas prices. We must be clear in answering those questions about gas gouging, corporate profits, lack of refinery capacity, OPEC, and all those other things. As we answer, we need to structure our answers so it is clear that there is something else... some bit that is missing.
Start from where they are, and don't get too far ahead. Two wonderful tidbits of advice for the peak oil educator in each of us.
More Leadership Quotes
"A good leader can’t get too far ahead of his followers." -- Franklin D. Roosevelt
"A good leader can’t get too far ahead of his followers."
In thinking about how to educate others about the important issues of the day (peak oil, global warming, economic instability, etc.), it concept is essential.
Many of my attempts to get the word out regarding peak oil have failed. The reason? I have failed to start from where the the people were at.
Peak oil is really an issue about gas prices. In fact, those of us attempting to raise awareness and understanding about peak oil should focus on gas prices, and constantly tie things back to gas prices. People understand gas prices. They see them in big, bold letters practically every day. They fill their tank. They drive their car. They hear about it on the TV, radio and in print. Gas prices is what peak oil is all about.
"A good leader can’t get too far ahead of his followers."
In other words, what do the people want to learn about? What do they feel they need to know? That is the starting point. Start there, and wind peak oil into the conversation. Keep tying the conversation back to daily concerns... and daily activities.
Peak oil is impacting everything, right now, so lead by following the thinking of the learners.
* Gas prices
* Food prices
* New car sales
* The losses of the domestic automakers
* Rising inflation
* The unemployment rate
* Costs of medical insurance
* Where to invest
* Housing sales and costs
* Mortgage rates
* Etc.
Think long and hard about what the people have on their mind, and then start from there. Answer their questions, but in the answering, leave a deeper question unanswered. Each time one question is answered, set up the next reasonable question. Loop back to the central issue of gas prices, and then go off in another direction, tying in another related question.
"A good leader can’t get too far ahead of his followers."
I fall into this trap a lot. I know so much, that I forget that others don't know what I'm talking about. Start from where they are, and most importantly, be willing to lead them just as far as they are willing to go... but leave them with that next question that will beg them to go one step farther.
One method that can be used is getting it out there in advance. In the field of education, we call this "activating prior knowledge". Have the people think about, discuss, write down, or in some way bring to mind what they know about the issue. Then, start from where they are, and answer the one central question, while setting up the next question to come into their mind.
This reminds me of a good suspense movie. Each scene sets up the curiosity about the next. In this way, we look forward to the next bit, and look closely for the clues. The movies can teach us something. Not only do they present a way to keep people interested, but they give an idea of how much a person can take in, and comprehend. The best movies leave us thinking, and discussing, afterwards. They leave us wanting to learn more.
Humans, after all, are curiosity engines -- learning machines. It is in our very nature, the nature of all animals, to seek understanding and to answer questions in our own mind. Curiosity is innate, natural, and universal. Curiosity is what we need to reach in order to help people learn something new, and to extend their thinking.
"A good leader can’t get too far ahead of his followers."
This message is one that we can all learn from. Think of the best runner on a team, trying to help the others to improve. It does no good for the best one to run way ahead. The team will accept a challenge, but a challenge is only real if it is realistic. The best runner, in helping the team, will run just a few paces ahead, and encourage the team mates that they can do it.
To help people understand peak oil, we must first address gas prices. We must be clear in answering those questions about gas gouging, corporate profits, lack of refinery capacity, OPEC, and all those other things. As we answer, we need to structure our answers so it is clear that there is something else... some bit that is missing.
Start from where they are, and don't get too far ahead. Two wonderful tidbits of advice for the peak oil educator in each of us.
More Leadership Quotes
"A good leader can’t get too far ahead of his followers." -- Franklin D. Roosevelt