With all the emphasis on leadership these days, I wonder how good we are at following? The ironic part of this is, a great leader has to follow. Listening to and abiding with good advice is an act of following. Acknowledging weakness which graces a humble spirit is a good follower/leader. We are always both...leaders and followers. I have this aversion to following. I never think anyone knows better how to get somewhere then I do. It is an Achilles flaw in the arrogance of it all and I have and will continue to suffer consequences for that 'aversion'. There is merit in having a critical eye for those who are in front of the pack, keeping them accountable to the principles and visions of the organization/church/team/committee, whatever. There is nothing more frustrating though for someone in leadership who has abided by those principles to have the followers always digging in their collective heels just because they can. Leadership is a title given, trust in direction is a relationship earned. But, if the leader has been placed in leadership by those who we have trusted , it follows that we should follow. I am not talking about politics here...that is a leadership title where trust has to be earned by visible action. We can't 'trust' those who put him there because a majority mind isn't trustworthy.
I am talking about our chosen leaders in the circle of our day to day routines: our work, our church, our homes.
Maybe it is just me, I need to give people the ability to lead me and I need to learn how to follow. I think this shows a respect that I would want if given that leadership role.
3 comments:
Heidi -
A good example of learning why we need to follow is that found in the Shepherd's Psalm. Here we learn all that is the sheep's if they follow the Shepherd... restoration, rest, food, protection, etc. etc. It is easy to learn to follow a Shepherd leader that we can trust to provide all this. Ah ha.. there is the optimum word...trust. It is harder to learn to trust leaders here thus we all want to do the leading for our own good - right?
right...The Shepherd has always been trustworthy...the tricky part is the expectation for that goodness to rest in all leaders, especially and particularly the shepherds here. When one goes wrong with the trust we have given...it stains all other relationships. H
Very good article, well written and very thought out.
Post a Comment