Mark and I were riding our bikes back to our home street after a day of playing around along the bayou on the west side of Houston. We chatted along the way while covering a variety of topics. It was just over a half-century ago, but Mark’s response to my question is particularly poignant in our society’s current tendencies for seeking popularity over substance.

Mark was a natural leader; he had several guys in the neighborhood who gravitated to him.  I asked him about that while we were pedaling along with a question something like, “How is it that you have so many guys who follow what you’re doing?” I’ll never forget the gist of his answer.

“I don’t think about that. I do what I think is right and if others follow, that is okay.”

He didn’t act in order to get a following; he didn’t do things to be popular; he didn’t make decisions based on whether they would attract friends; he didn’t bother to notice who or how many followed his lead: Mark’s decisions were based on right vs wrong. Then, he let the chips fall where they may.

Society is swamped with measures of “friends,” “followers,” and “popularity.” Too many people are focused on clicks, views or shares. It strikes me that too often society identifies leaders as those who are actually just “makers of followers”; those are different roles.

I was fortunate to grow up among several natural leaders. I think of it as The Memorial Bend Leadership Academy, with all the instructors being younger than 16. Mark was one of several whose wisdom has stuck with me.

We could use more Marks, I believe, who act on principle not on popularity.