Leading By Example

For my leadership experience in October, I attended one of the lectures during Social Entreprenuership week.  The speaker was John O'Neil from the Thinkhaus design company and his partner Jill Wagner.  Their company does normal graphic design, however, they put a different twist on their business strategies.  They are conscious of their clients and will not design for the businesses that are not environmentally concerned.

Behind this basic difference is a reason and a purpose that make sense when stated plainly.  They stated that their goal was to use their business to impact the community around them and improve the society and environment through their designs.  Thinkhaus focused on their customers first and then decided how they would go about filling the need of their clients.
Leading in this way allows other people and members of the community to follow the example that you set.  I really liked the way that Thinkhaus represented leadership because they showed realistic ways to be a leader in the community or society that we live in.  Leaders should focus on what is good for their followers at large, and they should take into account the opinion and needs of their followers.  This thoughtfulness will provide for a true leader that followers can trust and look to for guidance.