How to lead your peers (SmartBlog on Leadership)

Peer leadership is something that is often overlooked in leadership circles because, most often, we focus on what and how leaders lead their followers. This is appropriate, but much of what’s accomplished within an organization is because of people in the middle who get things done. Sometimes it requires leading up — what you do for your boss — but often, it requires what you do with and for your colleagues — leading peers.

I think this is particularly relevant to the entertainment industry simply because so many of the people at the top are nutjobs. Assistants and junior executives in this industry rely on each other, and have loyalty to one another (at least the good ones do), that I don't think is seen in many other businesses. I certainly know that was true during my time at CAA.

And while I had a great boss there, I think the reason for this banding together is usually because the consequences of a mistake were more often than not totally disproportionate to whatever error was made. I guess this is my longwinded way of saying that I agree with this article, but rather than calling it "leading your peers," I see it as the teamwork that's already been built from time in the trenches together. You do what it takes to make sure you and yours get the job done, no?

Read the full article here.