Bigger Than Life. The Flavor Flav Factor
Leaders, stand out. If they didn’t, they wouldn’t be leaders.
Leaders need to have a strength of character that goes beyond normal boundaries. A character that’s bigger than life. A character that is not embarassed or fearful, but dynamic and apart from the crowd.
Gregg Hawkins talks about tactical blogging. It’s a great post with some key insight on why it’s important to write a blog for people first and search engines second. One point he made really caught my eye. Here’s what he said:
Be unique and stand out above the rest by adding a little “flavor flav” to your site. Bad metaphor at attempted humor, but moving on! For those of you who don’t get it don’t worry, just add more flavor to your site.
Now hang on a second …
I know Gregg was just joking but this really isn’t a bad metaphor at all. In fact it’s a great metaphor for understanding the mechanics of leadership. The under-the-hood stuff.
Flavor Flav is outrageous. He doesn’t make any apologies. People know him for his music, his tv series, that crazy viking helmet and his ever-present clock pendent. He’s got the kind of character that makes people wonder ‘What’s this guy going to do next’?
The Mechanics Of Leadership
There are two things that make leadership happen:
- Leaders don’t follow the crowd. They head off in their own direction. This is something that’s ingrained in them to the core. But … if no one follows, then you’re not a leader at all. You’re just all by yourself.
- Leaders have electricity. They have magnetic character. This is what draws people towards them when they take off in their own direction. It might be how they look, how they act, what they say; the key is, they make people curious, inspire them, motivate them and compel them to navigate into uncharted territory. To follow the trail they blaze.
There are a lot of important character traits that define great leadership, but without the mechanics of leadership, without both these moving parts, it can’t happen.
The Chicken And The Egg
The question has to be asked. Are some billionaires and notable figures eccentric because they can afford to be, or are they successful because they stand apart from the crowd?
It’s fair to say that one fuels the other, but the latter is true for the most part. At least when you look at the mechanics of it.
The next time you’re building something great. Something that leads the way, make sure to stop and ask “Where’s the Flavor Flav Factor? What makes this bigger than life”?

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7 Comments
Gregg
March 23rd, 2007
at 12:20 pm
I definitely agree with you on all of your points about a leadeer. I really like how you pointed out that a leader isn’t a leader if no one follows.
I think that if you’re a natural leader, but no one follows, that’s the time when you can’t be selfish. You need to look back, see what you can change, and start over for better results 😀
Shane
March 23rd, 2007
at 6:15 pm
Gregg,
I always advocate learning by doing. Only by taking the lead and turning around to see there’s no one following can you gain this perspective on leadership.
That’s why experience counts for so much. I have successes AND failures. I get a lot from both.
And thanks for YOUR post, which inspired this one!
Gregg
March 24th, 2007
at 6:18 pm
No problem, I try to inspire people 😀
Also, I thought it was kind of interesting that you said “Learn by doing.” That’s the motto at Cal Poly.
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at 2:38 am
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Andy
April 9th, 2007
at 7:20 am
I think I definitely possess the first trait of not following the crowd but need to generate more electricity.
While easier said than done I know this kind of self development is possible. I’ve seen a shy quiet (but smart and brave) guy transform himself into a true alpha…
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