--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When I can lead... why should I follow?" description: "\"When I can lead... why should I follow?\" — Zan" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f97/zan-79693_follow_when-i-can-lead-why-should-i-follow-2365_2365923.jpg" --- # When I can lead... why should I follow? ![“When I can lead... why should I follow?” quote by Zan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f97/zan-79693_follow_when-i-can-lead-why-should-i-follow-2365_2365923.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f97/zan-79693_follow_when-i-can-lead-why-should-i-follow-2365_2365923.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f97/zan-79693_follow_when-i-can-lead-why-should-i-follow-2365_2365923.jpg) > “When I can lead... why should I follow?” [Zan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. If you have the ability to lead, you should not simply follow others; question why you accept a subordinate role. **In simple terms:** If you can lead, why follow? Key Takeaway Assess your leadership potential and seek roles that match it. Themes leadership self‑assessment agency career choice empowerment Mood inspirational assertive reflective Type motivational career When to use this quote - career decisions - team dynamics - project management - self‑growth Key Concepts psychology organizational behavior personal development Questions to Reflect On - What qualities make you want to lead? - When is following more beneficial than leading? A Different Perspective The advice may overlook collaborative benefits of following skilled leaders. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Follow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/follow/) [Lead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lead/) [Lead Follow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lead-follow-567537/) [Leader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leader/) [Leadership](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leadership/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) ## Related quotes > [Lead me, follow me, or get out of my way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-s-patton/lead-me-follow-me-or-get-out-of-my-way/) [George S. Patton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-s-patton/) > [I lead not follow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teady/i-lead-not-follow/) [$Teady](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teady/) > [Life's a dance you learn as you go, sometimes you lead, sometimes you follow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-michael-montgomery/life-s-a-dance-you-learn-as-you-go-sometimes-you-lead-sometimes-you/) [John Michael Montgomery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-michael-montgomery/) > [Whats up with your motto? Will you lead? Will you follow?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nas/whats-up-with-your-motto-will-you-lead-will-you-follow/) [Nas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nas/) > [I just go with the flow, I follow the yellow brick road. I don't know where it's going to lead me, but I follow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-jones/i-just-go-with-the-flow-i-follow-the-yellow-brick-road-i-don-t-know/) [Grace Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-jones/) > [One thing I am is a leader and if I'm not allowed to lead, then I have to follow. So then I want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baron-davis/one-thing-i-am-is-a-leader-and-if-i-m-not-allowed-to-lead-then-i-have/) [Baron Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baron-davis/) > [And step by step You'll lead me / And I will follow You all of my days.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-mullins/and-step-by-step-you-ll-lead-me-and-i-will-follow-you-all-of-my-days/) [Rich Mullins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-mullins/) > [One of the great things about unions is they're member driven and give us the great ability to both lead and follow at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-rosenberg/one-of-the-great-things-about-unions-is-they-re-member-driven-and/) [Alan Rosenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-rosenberg/) > [It doesn't really matter if you lead or follow; everybody's laughing like there's no tomorrow and even if there was, would you still go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tomas-kalnoky/it-doesn-t-really-matter-if-you-lead-or-follow-everybody-s-laughing/) [Tomas Kalnoky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tomas-kalnoky/) > [Cooperation with others. Perception, experience, tenacity. Know when to lead and when to follow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ming-dao-deng/cooperation-with-others-perception-experience-tenacity-know-when-to/) [Ming-Dao Deng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ming-dao-deng/) > [“It is better to lead than to follow. It is better to speak up than stay silent. It is better to open doors than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-lockhart/it-is-better-to-lead-than-to-follow-it-is-better-to-speak-up-than/) [E. Lockhart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-lockhart/) > [“In this life of our' there will be leaders and there will be followers',, You Lead' and when you must follow follow GOD'.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jasiah-rosariio/in-this-life-of-our-there-will-be-leaders-and-there-will-be-followers/) [Jasiah Rosariio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jasiah-rosariio/) > [“First pillar of kinging-stay present. Second pillar-follow the man. Follow and lead, follow and lead.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmond-manning/first-pillar-of-kinging-stay-present-second-pillar-follow-the-man/) [Edmond Manning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmond-manning/) > [Love is a road where you lead and I follow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahmoud-el-hallab/love-is-a-road-where-you-lead-and-i-follow/) [Mahmoud El Hallab](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahmoud-el-hallab/) > [Lead never FOLLOW](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lil-wayne/lead-never-follow/) [Lil Wayne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lil-wayne/) ## More by Zan > [Love is true:when there is thousands of reason to give up n only one reason to hold onnnn...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zan/love-is-true-when-there-is-thousands-of-reason-to-give-up-n-only-one/) [Zan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zan/) > [I follow my own not the crowd …my life ma rules my way :)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zan/i-follow-my-own-not-the-crowd-my-life-ma-rules-my-way/) [Zan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zan/) [Explore all 3 Zan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zan/) ## More Follow quotes > [My only close-to-game-plan is to follow good writing. If the writing is in TV or if it's in theater or in film, that's it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-driver/my-only-close-to-game-plan-is-to-follow-good-writing-if-the-writing/) [Adam Driver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-driver/) > [“I urge you: don't cut short these thought-trains of yours. Follow them through to their end. Your thoughts and your feelings. Follow them through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-m-coetzee/i-urge-you-don-t-cut-short-these-thought-trains-of-yours-follow-them/) [J.M. Coetzee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-m-coetzee/) > [I use a lot of Pinterest to follow trends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ricky-rubio/i-use-a-lot-of-pinterest-to-follow-trends/) [Ricky Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ricky-rubio/) > [For many, the call to be a Christian can seem demanding, even overwhelming. But we need not be afraid or feel inadequate. The Savior…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-d-hales/for-many-the-call-to-be-a-christian-can-seem-demanding-even/) [Robert D. Hales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-d-hales/) > [“Love Is Like Trail..You Follow You Reach One You Like To Keep,And you leave..So after Others Can Follow Your Trail…”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khode-maiish-v/love-is-like-trail-you-follow-you-reach-one-you-like-to-keep-and-you/) [khode maiish v](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khode-maiish-v/) > [“I follow the Law—the Most Excellent Law.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudyard-kipling/i-follow-the-law-the-most-excellent-law/) [Rudyard Kipling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudyard-kipling/) > [What do you want for your life? And how are you going to get it? Figure that out. And then follow me to gloryville.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-ellis/what-do-you-want-for-your-life-and-how-are-you-going-to-get-it-figure/) [Jason Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-ellis/) > [Governments follow their people. A great deal has to do with the vision of the leadership of governments. They have a vision, and they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-khurshid/governments-follow-their-people-a-great-deal-has-to-do-with-the/) [Salman Khurshid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-khurshid/) > [I will follow my instincts, be myself for good or ill, and see what will be the upshot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-muir/i-will-follow-my-instincts-be-myself-for-good-or-ill-and-see-what/) [John Muir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-muir/) > [Whether you are buying a car or casting a ballot, choosing a job or planning a family, follow your moral compass. Don't let others…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-hayes/whether-you-are-buying-a-car-or-casting-a-ballot-choosing-a-job-or/) [Denis Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-hayes/) > [Follow your foot steps.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-love-hewitt/follow-your-foot-steps/) [Jennifer Love Hewitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-love-hewitt/) > [You have to follow your instinct, and that's what I've tried to do all my life, whether in music or anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erol-alkan/you-have-to-follow-your-instinct-and-that-s-what-i-ve-tried-to-do-all/) [Erol Alkan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erol-alkan/) > [Islam believes that Jesus is a prophet, and they honour him - highly - and they respect him, and they follow his teachings. So,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haaz-sleiman/islam-believes-that-jesus-is-a-prophet-and-they-honour-him-highly-and/) [Haaz Sleiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haaz-sleiman/) > [To follow good manners willingly is like paving the road and to tell somebody to follow them is like the road which is always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/to-follow-good-manners-willingly-is-like-paving-the-road-and-to-tell/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [Always look forward. Follow the path of light](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikage/always-look-forward-follow-the-path-of-light/) [Mikage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikage/) [Browse all 2,855 Follow quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/follow/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When I can lead... why should I follow?", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Zan" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zan/when-i-can-lead-why-should-i-follow/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Follow" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zan/when-i-can-lead-why-should-i-follow/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f97/zan-79693_follow_when-i-can-lead-why-should-i-follow-2365_2365923.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f97/zan-79693_follow_when-i-can-lead-why-should-i-follow-2365_2365923.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f97/zan-79693_follow_when-i-can-lead-why-should-i-follow-2365_2365923.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“When I can lead... why should I follow?” — Zan", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Zan", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zan/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "When I can lead... why should...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zan/when-i-can-lead-why-should-i-follow/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zan/when-i-can-lead-why-should-i-follow/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```