Nelson Mandela coined the phrase.

It was also used to describe President Obama's leadership strategy, particularly as related to Libya.

Lead from the back.

It's intriguing, as related to leadership. But, it's not what I mean when I say "lead from the back". I'm not talking about leading in a subversive way while in a leadership position. "Lead from the back" means you don't have to own a position of leadership to influence people at all

It's possible. It's important.

If you're in a leadership position, there's another counter-intuitive stance to take.

Follow from the front.

This means that you don't lead from the fact of your position. Demands on your team can't be based on this. A good leader is a better learner. She will pay attention to her team and listen to their input. She empowers and helps team members serve at their greatest potential.

This doesn't negate making hard decisions. It doesn't negate the very real possibility of making people on the team very unhappy.

But, that's easier to do if people feel listened to and cared about.

If you want to lead anyone from anywhere, kiss your ego goodbye.

Ego is the biggest barrier to effective leadership, whether you're leading from a position or not.