Are You a Style Leader or Follower?

Here’s an answer to the title question that you probably didn’t expect from me: You should try to be a little of both.

You probably thought I was going to encourage you to be a leader. It’s true that I’m a fan of the quote, “If you follow the crowd, you’ll get no farther than the crowd.” So you’re right that I believe you should be blazing new trails. But let me explain what’s wrong with trying to be 100 percent leader and 0 percent follower.

"Anyone can make hair look weird"

Hairdressers sometimes think, “The more weird I can make the hair, the more creative I am.” They let loose their total creative freedom in the belief that their artistry is more honest when they permit themselves to follow the fancy of their imagination. Well, let me tell you: anyone can make hair look weird.

Your more meaningful self-discoveries will happen when you put thought into how and why you can take a look or technique in a different direction. When you have educated yourself and mastered the techniques that have led you to try a new idea, that’s when you can knowledgeably experiment. Coming from a more sophisticated place because you’ve followed the techniques of masters who preceded you, your vision has a better chance of success and, even if it fails artistically, you’ll learn something that will help you to take it in a different direction.

The balance is delicate. Maybe your cosmetology school or mentor taught you to create styles that are very precise and even. Or maybe it was the opposite—everything you learned was texturized and busted up. Either way, you can hold onto that culture and become very good at it. But the first time a client comes in and wants her hair the other way, you’ll disappoint her. What’s worse is that you’ll be limiting your creativity and, in turn, you’ll limit your clientele to those who want only whatever your personal style is.

Once you have mastered a category of techniques, that’s when it’s time to try taking a different path, because now you have the background and expertise to stretch your creativity. Take classes in something totally new to you. Experiment on your own, challenge yourself and don’t be afraid of looking silly. When you change your habits and try something different, sooner or later you’ll find that, wow, it works! So you’ll like the results, which will encourage you to continue changing your habits, and then you’ll have the skills to be able to accommodate all clients and any outcome. That’s being an all-around hairdresser and a leader who is humble enough to follow the rules before breaking them.