I was recently in a discussion about the lines of authority within an organization. The question was “Who do you work for?” There can be many answers to this, but I believe there is one best answer.

I do not work FOR the persons in the hierarchy above me in the “O” chart. I do not work for the person who signs my pay check. These false assumptions are the root cause of many problems within a business when persons in authority believe them. In fact, this belief can be fatal to the business. They are held by those with too much ego and misplaced loyalties. It represents supervision instead of leadership.

The truth is that I work WITH those above (and below) me in the hierarchy, and FOR the business as a whole. This is the way of leadership.