--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You have to learn to be a follower before…" description: "\"You have to learn to be a follower before you become a leader.\" — Charlie Munger" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/179/charlie-munger-458_education_you-have-to-learn-to-be-a-follower-befor_1619229.jpg" --- # You have to learn to be a follower before you become a… ![“You have to learn to be a follower before you become a leader.” quote by Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/179/charlie-munger-458_education_you-have-to-learn-to-be-a-follower-befor_1619229.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/179/charlie-munger-458_education_you-have-to-learn-to-be-a-follower-befor_1619229.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/179/charlie-munger-458_education_you-have-to-learn-to-be-a-follower-befor_1619229.jpg) > “You have to learn to be a follower before you become a leader.” [Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Effective leadership begins with learning to support others and understand teamwork. **In simple terms:** Learn to follow before leading. Key Takeaway Practice listening and supporting. Themes leadership humility growth Mood reflective inspirational Type philosophical advice When to use this quote - corporate meetings - community projects - sports teams Key Concepts team dynamics mentorship authority Questions to Reflect On - When have you led without following first? - How does following shape your leadership style? A Different Perspective Some contexts require immediate decisive action, limiting time to follow. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) [Followers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/followers/) [Leader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leader/) [Leadership](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leadership/) ## Related quotes > [You're unique. Don't be a follower. Be a leader.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-re-unique-don-t-be-a-follower-be-a-leader/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Do not be a follower. Be a leader. Rebel-Rebel-Rebel.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nadair-desmar/do-not-be-a-follower-be-a-leader-rebel-rebel-rebel/) [Nadair Desmar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nadair-desmar/) > [I'm not a follower because I'm the leader of the followers .. So please do not be a follower for anyone but be the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sameh-el-hakim/i-m-not-a-follower-because-i-m-the-leader-of-the-followers-so-please/) Sameh El-Hakim > [I'm not a follower. I'm a leader. And anyone who speaks their mind is always criticised.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-the-creator-2/i-m-not-a-follower-i-m-a-leader-and-anyone-who-speaks-their-mind-is/) [Tyler, The Creator](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-the-creator-2/) > [“Be a follower. Be a leader. Learn what it means to be both. Don’t follow a follower. Follow your heart. Be careful of frauds.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sadiqua-hamdan/be-a-follower-be-a-leader-learn-what-it-means-to-be-both-don-t-follow/) [Sadiqua Hamdan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sadiqua-hamdan/) > [My parents always told me never be a follower, always be a leader. It's very difficult to do, to step out and be different…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jalen-brunson/my-parents-always-told-me-never-be-a-follower-always-be-a-leader-it-s/) [Jalen Brunson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jalen-brunson/) > [Never be a follower always be a leader , have your own mind , live your own life !](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kale-bell/never-be-a-follower-always-be-a-leader-have-your-own-mind-live-your/) [Kale Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kale-bell/) > [Don't be a follower, be a leader. don't look on what others are saying, just keep your head high and keep on walking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angel-marie/don-t-be-a-follower-be-a-leader-don-t-look-on-what-others-are-saying/) [Angel Marie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angel-marie/) > [In really good companies, you have to lead. You have to come up with big ideas and express them forcefully. I have always been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-enrico/in-really-good-companies-you-have-to-lead-you-have-to-come-up-with/) [Roger Enrico](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-enrico/) > [Moral authority is another way to define servant leadership because it represents a reciprocal choice between leader and follower. If the leader is principle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-k-greenleaf/moral-authority-is-another-way-to-define-servant-leadership-because/) [Robert K. Greenleaf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-k-greenleaf/) > [The first follower is actually an underestimated form of leadership in itself. … The first follower is what transforms a lone nut into a leader.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derek-sivers/the-first-follower-is-actually-an-underestimated-form-of-leadership/) [Derek Sivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derek-sivers/) > [Learn How To Be Leader Not A Follower Because Being A Follower Sometimes Lead You Into Something Good Or Bad...So Be Independent Not Dependent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/out-spoken/learn-how-to-be-leader-not-a-follower-because-being-a-follower/) Out Spoken > [I've always been a rule-follower. Even when I was a kid, I tried to do everything by the book.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-curtis-chapman/i-ve-always-been-a-rule-follower-even-when-i-was-a-kid-i-tried-to-do/) [Steven Curtis Chapman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-curtis-chapman/) > [Growing up, I never was a big follower of the Dodgers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-ethier/growing-up-i-never-was-a-big-follower-of-the-dodgers/) [Andre Ethier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-ethier/) > [It is better to be nothing than a follower of other painters. The wise man has said when one follows another one is always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-baptiste-camille-corot/it-is-better-to-be-nothing-than-a-follower-of-other-painters-the-wise/) [Jean-Baptiste Camille Corot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-baptiste-camille-corot/) ## More by Charlie Munger > [Almost all good businesses engage in 'pain today, gain tomorrow' activities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/almost-all-good-businesses-engage-in-pain-today-gain-tomorrow/) [Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/) > [If you want good behavior, don't pay on a commission basis. Our judges aren't paid so much a case. We keep them pretty well…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/if-you-want-good-behavior-don-t-pay-on-a-commission-basis-our-judges/) [Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/) > [Acquire worldly wisdom and adjust your behavior accordingly. 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Every newspaper is scrambling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/it-is-way-less-certain-to-be-a-wonderful-business-in-the-future-the/) [Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/) > [In the corporate world, if you have analysts, due diligence, and no horse sense, you've just described hell.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/in-the-corporate-world-if-you-have-analysts-due-diligence-and-no/) [Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/) > [We have to have a special insight, or we'll put it in the 'too tough' basket. All of you have to look for a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/we-have-to-have-a-special-insight-or-we-ll-put-it-in-the-too-tough/) [Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/) > [I've heard that one-half of the students at elite schools want to go into private equity or hedge funds. 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They inspire you, they entertain you, and you end up learning a ton even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/what-s-the-best-thing-about-being-in-college-good-teachers-they/) [Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/) > [“If one has not a head of steel it will burst; if he has not within it a brain of liquid quicksilver, he will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ioannes-amos-commenius/if-one-has-not-a-head-of-steel-it-will-burst-if-he-has-not-within-it/) Ioannes Amos Commenius > [“let us not teach / what we have learned badly / and not profited by”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-d-hilda-doolittle/let-us-not-teach-what-we-have-learned-badly-and-not-profited-by/) H.D. (Hilda Doolittle > [“It took me years to learn to sit at my desk for more than two minutes at a time, to put up with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-jong/it-took-me-years-to-learn-to-sit-at-my-desk-for-more-than-two-minutes/) [Erica Jong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-jong/) > [According to Plato, we don't learn anything. Our soul has lived so many lives that we know everything. Teachers and education can only remind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/according-to-plato-we-don-t-learn-anything-our-soul-has-lived-so-many/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [“I only began to enjoy studying after I got through the educational system and became a so-called member of society. 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