Editor's note: The following monthly perspective was written by National Horseman's publisher, Allison Lambert, appearing in Volume 1 of National Horseman Arabian.
Elements of a Leader
By Allison Lambert
There are two distinct categories in the world: leaders and followers. Margaret Thatcher once said, “Don’t follow the crowd. Let the crowd follow you.” As Britain’s first female prime minister, Margaret Thatcher was every definition of the word leader. Leaders forge their own path, dare to be different and aren’t afraid to take big risks along the way. Followers, on the other hand, are generally guided by the actions of others, only doing things after someone else does them first.
Being a leader is defined in different ways by different people. Steve Jobs said that innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower, whereas John Quincy Adams believed that you are a leader if your actions inspire others to do more. Regardless of the interpretation, the definition remains the same. Leaders are those with inherent creativity, which allows them to see (and do) things differently than everyone else around them. Leaders are those courageous enough to stand apart from the crowd, unafraid to take chances and live life outside the box. They command attention without trying, drive people to reevaluate their way of doing things, and have the capacity to translate vision into reality. Leadership is about making others better as a result of your presence, while making sure that impact lasts even in your absence. It’s safe to say that being a leader isn’t easy—which is probably why there are more followers in the world.
At National Horseman, we take great pride in being a leader. We are a unique magazine completely original in what we do—one that stands out from the crowd and isn’t afraid to be different. We’re proud to push the boundaries of conformity in order to surprise and delight our readers with every turn of the page, and we will continue to raise the standards of quality that are expected from a show horse publication. At National Horseman, we take our role as a leader seriously; it is a title we have worn proudly since 1865. And although we may be new to the Arabian community, we look forward to promoting, entertaining and serving your industry with the same vigor and passion we have demonstrated for the past 150 years.