Great post Erin! I certainly adore your spirit and respect your work. Your brief statements say it all, “Always do what’s right. It does make you a leader. At least that’s what I believe.” I believe it too! Now moving on to Wally’s great point, “For me, you are a leader if you have followers. Everything else is commentary.” I agree with that too, and here’s the connection. I think there is a very strong positive correlation between doing what’s right consistently and long enough, and ending up with followers. We are leaders at heart before we are leading in reality. I think it’s a causal relationship. I recall being shocked with a “meritorious promotion” to PFC out of Parris Island (Semper Fi Wally) simply because the drill instructors noted that I did the right thing by consistently helping and lifting up my fellow “boots” when they struggled. That “stripe” didn’t make me a leader as I moved on to bigger and better things. It was a symbol that I was already a leader at heart, and  it awarded me some followers. That “stripe” was a small reward that was simply a symbol of a huge lesson for my life. Do the right thing just because and likely, as in my case, the followers will come.