When my brothers and I were growing up in a little town called Mauriceville, Texas, in the early 90’s, we spent the majority of our time outside.

 

 

We had a couple acres of land and roughly half of it was wooded.

 

That meant we had the opportunity to put together makeshift forts, lookout towers, booby traps, you name it!

 

The area lent itself to many opportunities for rough-housing, imagination, and all-around fun times.

 

Like most of us did when we were younger, we enjoyed the occasional game of ‘king of the hill’. Someone inevitably kicks it off by climbing to the top of an elevated area and then declaring themselves king of that hill.

 

The other players take their efforts to where the king stands and attempts to dethrone him by remaining alone on top of this ‘hill’.

 

No other status is given to anyone in this game, just a lone winner who is the ‘king’.

 

Competition in all other areas breeds this type of mindset in us as well, that the one who finishes on top, or in first place is the best spot to be in.

 

While I’m not here to debate the receiving of awards for placing in competitive events, that has conditioned our minds as we age to think that we must be number one in our department, organization, or life.

 

We strive to keep up social status and we jockey for position in the office to claim the next opening for supervisor, manager, director, etc.

 

Ambition, success, fulfilling potential, all of these are necessary and commendable. We need this type of environment to better ourselves.

 

There is nothing wrong with being the top leader.

 

However, the unfortunate thing that can come of this tunnel-vision approach is the devaluing of a solid, valuable number #2.

 

There are often, fewer spots at the top than there are supporting roles, and we can get too focused on the drive to be the ‘top dog’ that we don’t do our role justice if that’s the part we play.

 

When leaders have a ‘go-to’ person they can count on, it makes their job so much easier!

 

Here are 4 reasons why it’s better to NOT be the main leader.

 

Fulfillment:

 

Let’s face it, we’re not all called to be the man or woman at the top. The most compelling reason why it’s better to be here is because it frees us!

 

We all desire to work in our strength zone and function in our calling.

 

Figuring out that we operate best in this type of role is incredibly fulfilling because you eliminate the pressure of wondering when you’ll get your chance.

 

It allows us to work confidently knowing we’re exactly where we’re supposed to be with our lives.

 

Vision Champion:

 

If you’ve ever laid out a vision before or seen your leader do so, you recognize the value in having someone catch the vision and work towards it.

 

Often, a faithful #2 can play a part in the creation of the vision and has a tremendous amount of influence with other followers.

 

When others see that you are championing the vision, they’ll more likely jump on board.

 

From the leaders perspective, having someone to carry that torch instead of the followers feeling as though they’re being forced into it, helps with the weight of it.

Perspective:

 

Being in this role can also work best for both the leader and other followers because working hand in hand with championing the vision of the leader, you have multiple perspectives.

 

Operating both as a follower and close enough with the leader that you understand the “why” behind decisions, offers a unique opportunity.

 

You will be able to provide insight to the leader regarding the group and you can bring an understanding to the group when they’re unsure of a leader’s purpose.

 

Support:

 

All leaders long for the support of their followers, but often, followers don’t know how to provide that and therefore, don’t.

 

This position can strengthen the heart of a leader when turbulent times come. Having a close follower who functions in this area can uplift a leader and help them carry on.

 

The role of a #2 should aid the leader all around, but moral and mental support here can be worth more to some leaders than we ever know.

 

 

Maybe it’s time for us to evaluate our position today. Have we become so wrapped up in our quest for being the top leader that we’ve ignored what our true calling is?

 

If you desire to lead, there is great power in the role of being a #2 and we must not overlook its importance.

If you desire to lead, there is great power in the role of being a #2 and we must not overlook its importance. Click To Tweet

 

If you want to leave the ‘what if’ behind today, stop desiring the top spot, and work towards fulfillment.

 

Have you encountered this mindset? Have you seen others get lost in the competition and avoid fulfillment? Comment below, I’d love to hear your thoughts!