Lead, Follow, or Get Out of the Way

 

Copyright: Sanjay Basu

A Motto, A Mirror, and a Messy Truth

The Blunt Poetry of Progress

Some mottos whisper. Others chant. But this one kicks down the door with steel-toed boots and a clipboard in hand.

“Lead, follow, or get out of the way.”

It’s not subtle. It doesn’t ask politely. It’s a phrase that feels like it was scrawled on a battlefield map, stapled to a corporate mission statement, and tattooed on the biceps of your loudest coworker, all before breakfast. But behind its bulldozer charm lies a curious depth. It’s part rallying cry, part ultimatum, part moral compass, if your compass was forged in a pressure cooker.

So where did this phrase come from? Why does it resonate so widely across politics, business, startups, and even military doctrine? And this part’s important — when does it inspire clarity, and when does it bulldoze nuance?

Let’s roll up our sleeves. We’re about to follow this phrase all the way down the rabbit hole. You can lead, follow, or… well, you know the rest.

Because the Noise Is Deafening

We live in the Age of Ambiguity.

One where too many voices claim leadership, yet few are willing to be led. Everyone wants to disrupt, but no one wants to follow the rules long enough to know what they’re disrupting. In the name of freedom, we often mistake indecision for democracy, and in trying to be inclusive, we sometimes lose velocity.

This is why the old motto matters again.

At first glance, “Lead, follow, or get out of the way” might sound like a power flex. A phrase favored by CEOs with motivational posters and startups with too many ping-pong tables. But in a world where groupthink competes with cancel culture, and action often drowns in over-analysis, this motto cuts through the fog like a well-honed blade.

It’s a reminder that progress needs friction. But not paralysis.

The Phrase, The Psyche, The Proof

From Revolution to Reorgs

Let’s start with the origin story. The phrase is most often attributed to General George S. Patton, that famously brash U.S. Army officer who probably never whispered anything in his life. Others attribute it to Thomas Paine, the Enlightenment-era pamphleteer who once declared, “Lead, follow, or get out of the way” as a challenge to passive bystanders during the American Revolution.

Did Paine actually say it? Hard to prove definitively. But the spirit fits.

This was a time when the world was being reshaped not by consensus panels but by risk-takers, reformers, and rebels. The phrase likely crystallized over centuries, part American frontier ethos, part military ethos, and later, the beloved mantra of every leadership retreat PowerPoint since the 1980s.

What makes it sticky isn’t just its snappiness. It’s the binary clarity it offers in a world full of third options.

It’s not “Let’s think about it.” It’s “Pick a lane.”

Why It Works (and Why It Doesn’t)

Psychologically, the motto plays to our primal wiring. Human brains love hierarchy in times of uncertainty. Leadership, even flawed, feels safer than chaos. Studies in organizational behavior show that when roles are clearly defined, teams perform better. Ambiguity breeds anxiety. Clarity fuels trust.

Consider the landmark study published in the Journal of Applied Psychology (Judge, 2004), which showed that transformational leaders, those who decisively communicate vision and direction, consistently outperform more passive managers in terms of team productivity and morale.

But here’s the catch. It also depends on context.

In creative or collaborative teams, where psychological safety matters, the “get out of the way” bit can shut down input. In diverse teams, overly aggressive leadership can steamroll dissenting, often vital, perspectives. Not every moment calls for Patton. Sometimes, you need Mister Rogers.

Capitalism’s Favorite Battle Cry

In the private sector, this phrase found its natural habitat. Particularly in fast-paced, innovation-fueled economies like the U.S. during the 20th century. The ability to make decisions fast, even if imperfect, became a competitive advantage.

Startups that scaled were those where founders led boldly, teams followed with trust, and red tape was, quite literally, told to get out of the way.

A Harvard Business Review analysis of 200 top-performing companies between 1995 and 2020 showed that rapid decision-making correlated with long-term financial success, even when those early decisions weren’t always correct. The act of deciding was itself a muscle of momentum.

Capitalism rewards action. And this motto? It’s practically action with a megaphone.

But beware. Capitalism also burns out people. And here’s where the “get out of the way” part starts to reveal its fangs.

The Flip Side of the Coin

When “Get Out of the Way” Becomes “Shut Up”

Let’s not kid ourselves. This motto has been weaponized. It’s been used to silence whistleblowers. To shame thoughtful dissent. To create toxic cultures where disagreement equals disloyalty.

We’ve seen this in everything from Silicon Valley implosions (Theranos, WeWork, anyone?) to bureaucracies where blind allegiance passed for strategy. In many of those cases, the wrong people were leading, the wrong people were following, and the ones who should’ve been listened to were shoved, quite literally, out of the way.

Autocracies love this motto. It saves them the trouble of listening.

In such contexts, it mutates from a call to courage into a tool of coercion.

The “lead” is no longer earned. It’s enforced. The “follow” is no longer willing. It’s demanded. And the “get out of the way” becomes a purge.

Which brings us to a far more interesting question. When is this motto appropriate, and when is it dangerous?

Know When to Hold, When to Fold

Phase One: Crisis — Use It Like a Scalpel

In times of crisis, like natural disasters, wartime operations, and pandemic response, this motto is indispensable. Indecision costs lives. Someone must lead. Others must support. And ambiguity must be annihilated.

The U.S. Navy SEALs operate on a maxim that echoes this perfectly: “Default aggressive.”

But the key is in the timing. As psychologist Daniel Kahneman famously distinguished, fast thinking (“System 1”) helps in crises. But thoughtful thinking (“System 2”) is essential in complexity. If you’re still leading like it’s a fire drill three years into peacetime, you’re not a leader. You’re a tyrant.

Phase Two: Innovation — Follow, But Don’t Obey Blindly

In innovation cycles, especially R&D, product design, or scientific discovery, the “follow” part needs more room to breathe. Following isn’t about obedience. It’s about alignment with shared curiosity.

Here, the leader becomes more like a conductor than a general. And followers? More like jazz musicians than foot soldiers.

Apple under Steve Jobs balanced this beautifully; his brilliant leadership, paired with world-class individual contributors who didn’t just follow. They amplified.

Phase Three: Community & Inclusion — Let People In, Don’t Push Them Out

This is where the motto fails if taken too literally. In diverse teams or social movements, “get out of the way” becomes counterproductive. Not everyone who resists your vision is an obstacle. Sometimes, they’re the conscience.

History proves this: Martin Luther King Jr. led a civil rights movement where the power was not in silencing dissent, but in embracing multitudes. In such movements, moral authority trumps executive orders.

Leadership, here, is not about driving others. It’s about lifting them.

Capitalism vs. Community: Why the Motto Gave One an Edge

Capitalist societies have generally outpaced their centrally controlled counterparts because of one simple thing. Decentralized initiative.

When people know they can either lead or follow, and even change roles over time, they’re more likely to take risks. Innovation blooms not from rigid structures but from fluid ones. And the phrase “lead, follow, or get out of the way” supports that kind of fluidity (when not abused).

By contrast, in authoritarian regimes, initiative is punished. “Get out of the way” isn’t a choice. It’s exile. Or worse.

This is why capitalist democracies, flawed as they are, tend to evolve faster. Because the phrase acts like an evolutionary pressure. It favors agility, not stasis.

A Motto for Adults, Not Adolescents

At its best, “Lead, follow, or get out of the way” is a test. Not just of character, but of situational intelligence.

Are you truly the best one to lead right now? Do you know how to follow without ego? Can you recognize when you’re the bottleneck, and step aside without bitterness?

These are adult questions. And this is an adult motto.

But wielded poorly, it turns us into caricatures. Brash leaders, docile followers, bitter bystanders. That’s not progress. That’s cosplay.

So here’s my advice, and you’re free to lead, follow, or ignore it entirely:

Use this phrase like a chef uses salt. Boldly, but sparingly. Know when to throw it in the pot, and when to leave it on the shelf. Because sometimes, the best way to lead is by listening. Sometimes, the best way to follow is by asking why. And sometimes, the best way to “get out of the way” is to recognize you were never in it to begin with.

How We Practice It at Work: Neither Dictator Nor Doormat

At my workplace, “Lead, follow, or get out of the way” isn’t a threat. It’s more of a quiet rhythm. A philosophy that keeps us moving without steamrolling each other.

We don’t bark it across meetings or paste it on the walls in bold Helvetica. Instead, we live it. In a balanced, collaborative way that values inclusion without sacrificing velocity. Everyone’s voice matters, not because it’s trendy to say so, but because diverse inputs prevent dumb outcomes. But once a decision is made? Ownership kicks in hard.

We operate on a principle I call collaborative clarity. People are encouraged to challenge ideas, question assumptions, even propose better paths. But when it’s your name next to the deliverable, it’s your hill to climb. No half-baked consensus. No fuzzy groupthink. You lead your bit. You follow where it makes sense. And if you’re blocking momentum? You step aside, not out of shame, but out of shared respect for the mission.

That’s what real inclusion looks like. It’s not about everyone getting their way. It’s about everyone having their say and then moving forward together.