Barbara V Evers

When I was a child, my friends and I used to play Follow the Leader.  One of us led, and the rest had to follow, doing everything that the leader did.  For this game to work, you could only have one leader, which might sound simple, but in the context of today's world, I don't think it's that obvious. I teach several leadership development training courses, and one of the questions I always ask my trainees is:  "What's the one most important ingredient for a leader?" People respond with various characteristics--communication, vision, drive, etc.  "Yes," I tell them, "those are important, but what one thing must you have to be a leader?"  Trainees rarely figure out the answer:  followers. If no one is following, then you're not leading. I bring this up today because I'm often struck by American society's focus on leadership. We teach our children to lead.  We ask questions about leadership when interveiwing potential empl...

Today, we have a snippet from my completed novel, The Watchers of Moniah . I hope you enjoy!  ***************************** Pultarch mumbled in his sleep and thrashed on the small cot.   Sarx and the tavern maid stood watch over him.   She shook her head. “She must have been quite remarkable.   It’s rare I see men so upset.” Sarx smiled at her, enjoying the visible tremor that ran over the serving girl’s shapely body every time he looked at her. “No, nooo.” Pularch moaned and rolled his head on the pillow. She knelt by the bed and smoothed the boy’s brow, crooning a lullaby in the voice of an angel.   Sarx studied the girl.   He had searched the local taverns for months before he found the one in the rumors.   Her resemblance to Adana was uncanny. Until Pultarch joined him this evening, she had always given his table a wide berth.   Still, over several months, he learned she lacked the accent or demeanor of the streets.   Ve...