Exchanging the baton in a relay race — the front cover image on each of the three books in The Leadership Mints Series — celebrates the collaborative focus of leaders and followers.

Leaders and followers need — and heed—each other. On and off the track.

Leaders realize their success is dependent on their participating WITH their followers (a.k.a audiences). They learn from one other. They factor their mutual needs and interests with each other. And they speak WITH – not AT –each other. With civility. Time and again.

Their collaborative performance is an on-going pursuit.

Leaders realize there is no finish line. Just another starting line. And still another well-marked exchange zone on a track where they and their followers must perform collaboratively. On time (and under budget). One hand reaching out to the other’s hand. In full stride. With precision.

That’s why their on-going pursuit of interdependence between— leaders and followers, speakers and audiences, managers and their employees (and relay track team members) — is featured throughout The Leadership Mints Series in THINKING Like a Leader with clarity, in LOVING Like a Leader with empathy and in SPEAKING Like a Leader with civility.