"You’ve got to first be a brother or sister in a group before you can talk about being a father or mother of the group. " 
 I am watching the water fowl around my community getting ready for winter.  It must be wonderful to be a little duckling, following along with all the others in the brood, splashing and playing, learning to dive for food and to preen away old feathers.  Imagine the comfort of huddling together beneath Mama Duck's wings when the cool evening winds blow across the lake. 
There is one little goose who, I have noticed,  likes hangin' with the ducklings.  She's been doing that all summer long.  Others have noticed and commented "She thinks she IS a duck!" 
Well, last week the geese started to become restless.  A few nights with the temperature below 50 degrees and the goose clan's thoughts turn to warmer climes.  Soon they will be heading south in their classic chevron formation.  And you may know that in that V, each of the geese can be called upon to rotate to the front and take the lead.
What about the goose that has been part of the duck family all summer? Will she join the journey?  If she does, can she be trusted to take the lead?
"You’ve got to first be a brother or sister in a group before you can talk about being a father or mother of the group. " 
In our organizations we often call leaders who have not been a part of the history, a part of the family, a part of the team.  And we expect people to fall in behind.  It isn't that easy.  Without a common identity and a shared vision, without strong relationships built over time leaders and followers may fail to communicate effectively.  They struggle to achieve their goals.

What are some of the ways we can help leaders emerge from our current teams?  When do we need to promote from within rather than hire from without?  When have you epected a duck to be a goose?