Lessons from the Herd
Follow the Leader!
“A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.”
- John C. Maxwell
Lessons from the Herd
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Chasing Influence: Transformational Coaching to Build Champions for Life. This week’s story can be found in the second Chasing Influence Workbook for leaders, coaches, and teams.
From time-to-time you’ll hear a sports commentator call and athlete the team’s “bell cow.” What a curious description. What exactly, is a bell cow and why is this term used?
It turns out that long ago ranchers discovered that leadership is not a trait exclusive to humans. On the farm, certain animals are kept for years simply due to their value in managing a herd. In a herd of sheep, this animal is known as the bellwether. For cattle, it is the bell cow, the one cow that the rest of the cattle faithfully follow, the leader of the herd.
Ranchers pay close attention to determine which cow is the one the others follow and put a bell around the neck of that cow to help find the herd later. However, the cows in the herd do not follow because of the noise of the bell. The other cows follow the bell cow because of its innate leadership qualities.
The other cows, not the farmer, select the bell cow, and it becomes the undisputed leader of the pack. This much is clear: True leaders might not have “chief,” “director,” “manger,” or “captain” on their resume or a business card—but that leader will be the person other people follow.
Where there are no followers, there is no leader. And, if you have no followers, you are not a leader … no matter what you personally believe and what title you may hold.
“Before you are a leader, success is all about growing yourself. When you become a leader, success is all about growing others.”
- Jack Welch
Connecting this quote to the story. A true leader is someone others naturally follow, not necessarily someone with a formal title or position. Becoming a leader is about growing yourself and developing the qualities that will make others want to follow you. By focusing on growing others and fostering a sense of teamwork and collaboration, leaders can create a more positive and productive environment for everyone.
Chasing Influence tip: The title doesn’t make a leader, it’s the willingness to step up and lead that does.
If you enjoyed this story, a series of three Chasing Influence workbooks is available. Stories are accompanied by discussion questions and answers. Each workbook contains 33 lessons to use with any team.
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©Troy Urdahl, 2024