GOOD LEADERS COME FROM GOOD FOLLOWERS
Originally published on W Darrow Fiedler’s WordPress!
There are plenty of blog posts out there that will tell you exactly which traits you need to have or what steps you need to follow to become a good leader. Some of them are helpful, others perhaps a bit unrealistic. The truth is that there is no concrete path to leadership. Sure, there are common qualities shared amongst the successful and best practices designed to help you succeed but, in reality, anyone can rise to the challenge of leadership. Why? Because good leaders are essentially good followers…and we all start out as followers.
You can’t have one without the other
If you think about it, a leader would be nothing without followers. When a particular group of individuals chooses to put their collective trust in another person, the leadership role is created. In fact, one of the key aspects of good leadership is knowing when to take charge and lead versus when to stand down and follow.
Good leaders recognize that they may not have all of the answers immediately, but they recognize that someone else might be able to contribute to an answer and oftentimes that someone else can be found among their followers.
Support is the primary function of both roles
Just as a follower’s job is to support their leader, a leader’s job is to support his followers. Both recognize that their purpose is to serve the greater good as opposed to their own personal agenda. For a follower, the greater good is the company. For a leader, the greater good is both the company and the followers. Goals are met and progress is made when a skilled leader is supported by trustworthy followers and dedicated followers are supported by an adept leader.
Ego need not apply
It takes a decent amount of humility to keep personal opinions in check while following the guidance of someone else. Sometimes leaders will be privy to information that isn’t available to the group at large. Good followers recognize this fact and strive to suppress their own ego and build trust in their leader.
Similarly, an egotistical leader might find it difficult to acquire trustworthy followers. Leaders are often removed from the front lines and thus lack critical information about what’s actually going on. Humble leaders will not be afraid to interact with followers on their own level from time to time in order to gain a better understanding. They must suppress their own ego and learn to trust the team that supports them.
Good leaders can come from any number of places and possess any number of backgrounds. They all, however, share one common factor. Before they became good leaders, they became good followers.
