LEADERSHIP AND FOLLOWERSHIP (5)

The role of being a leader comes to each of us in many and varied ways. We are all leaders in one way or another. As Christians it comes through our baptism. As parents it comes with the responsibility of parenthood. In our various vocations or jobs, it comes with the role we are called to play within that situation. Leaders are always to be role models if the leader wishes those over whom he or she has authority and responsibility to be good followers. We do not always lead as well as we should, but lead we all do.

We are also all followers. As Christians we follow Jesus by trying to live the life the way he role-modeled it for us. We don’t always follow the way we should, but we are all followers. As children we did not always follow the good examples our parents set for us, did not always obey their commands, but we knew, nevertheless, who was in charge. As students we did not always follow the sound advice of our teachers, but, fortunately, we still learned even if it was often the hard way.

As Anthony B. Robinson in has article in The Christian Century (01-12-12) notes, a habit that is essential for leaders to be good leaders and followers to be good followers is for both to know and understand their roles. Both leader and follower need to know, understand and accept what tasks, what businesses, have his or her name on it and which ones do not. Leaders need followers to complete the tasks at hand and followers need leaders to point the direction.

Leaders cannot be micromanagers. Those who try eventually lose their followers because of the followers’ inability to do their job with any sense of freedom and self-worth. The follower will simply find another leader who will allow him or her to use the gifts he or she possesses and, in truth, which the leader needs to get the job done even if the leader believes no one can do it as well as s/he can. If the follower’s name is on the task at hand, get out of the way.

Leaders must also be open to other ways of doing business even when that business is about how to follow Jesus or how a church is to be a church. In other words, leaders must listen to their followers who just might have a better idea, a better way. No one is in possession of all the knowledge and skills and whatever else it takes, for instance, for a church to be a church. Even the lowliest of followers often has a better idea.

While it is important for a follower to follow and not often or even always believe s/he could do a better job at leading – and sometimes that is the honest-to-God’s truth: s/he can – good followers must still do the best they can even when the leader is less than the best and may not even be qualified to lead. They are ways to remedy bad leadership, but not doing one’s job is not one of them.

For any organization to be successful, especially a church because it is a totally voluntary organization, leaders and followers must work together, often taking risks, trusting one another, giving and receiving honest feedback, always being open to new ways of being, and doing the best each can in the role or roles each is given and accepted.