Would You Follow You? The Power of Self-Leadership
At The Learning Table event in Austin, leadership coach and keynote speaker Melinda Stallings delivered one of those rare sessions that stay with you long after the applause fades. Her talk, “Would You Follow You?”, challenged every leader in the room to pause, reflect, and ask the hardest—and most empowering—question of all: Would I follow me?
Melinda Sterling, October 2025, Austin, Texas
The Moment of Truth
The idea for Melinda’s session was born from a candid moment with a close friend—a phenomenal leader—who admitted, “I don’t think I’d want to follow me right now.”
That honesty struck her deeply. If he felt that way, how many of us have faced seasons where the demands, pace, and pressure of leadership make us question whether we’re still leading as we intend to?
“Before you can lead others,” she said, “you have to learn how to lead yourself.”
From Boss to Leader
Melinda invited the audience to reflect on the best and worst bosses they’ve ever had.
- Bad bosses: narcissistic, micromanaging, transactional.
- Great bosses: empathetic, enabling, curious.
Her message was simple yet profound: every day, we’re writing our leadership legacy. The difference between being a boss people endure and a leader they choose to follow lies in the small, consistent actions we take.
The Cornerstones of Followership
Melinda distilled true followable leadership into three cornerstones:
- Trust – The foundation of leadership. It takes time to earn, seconds to lose, and humility to rebuild. Great leaders own mistakes quickly and help others save face when things go wrong.
- Consistency – People shouldn’t have to wonder which version of you will show up today. Credible leaders are steady, grounded, and authentic—especially in volatile situations.
- Courage – The bravery to have hard conversations, model calm under pressure, and stand by your values even when it’s uncomfortable.
Above all, she emphasized positivity. “As a leader, you don’t get a choice,” she said. “People model what you do. Positivity is contagious. It’s the energy that fuels trust, resilience, and hope.”
The Legacy Framework
Melinda urged leaders to view legacy not as something distant but as something lived daily.
“Legacy isn’t someday,” she reminded the audience. “It’s every moment you interact with people.”
Her Legacy Framework centers on three pillars:
- People – The relationships you build, the trust you nurture, and the impact you leave on those who rely on you.
- Values – The principles that guide you—not the ones written on the wall, but the ones you live every day.
- Culture – The environment you shape through your tone, behavior, and example. Every leader influences culture, intentionally or not.
Would You Follow You?
Melinda closed with a question that silenced the room:
If someone were to describe your leadership ten years from now, what word would you want them to use?
“Authentic.” “Impactful.” “Grounded.” “Courageous.”
Whatever the word, she urged, live it daily. “The credibility you model today becomes the legacy you leave tomorrow.”
Final Thought
Leadership isn’t a title—it’s a mirror. Melinda’s message reminded us that the most meaningful leadership work begins not with others, but within ourselves.
So ask yourself: Would you follow you?