Remember playing follow the leader as a child. When we played that game we all wanted to be the leader. The object of this game was simple. You did what the person at the front of the line did. Everyone behind would follow.
Maybe our days of playing the game of follow the leader are over, but everyday we engage in the process of following leaders. And some of the lessons we learned back in when we were playing the game in preschool are still beneficial to us today.
1) Beware the person who always wants to lead. It really makes the game no fun for anyone else. It is deflating to know that you will always be stuck at the back of the line. The person who always wants to lead is not there to make sure everyone else has a good experience, but to ensure that he or she as an individual has a good experience even to the detriment of others.
2) Share the leadership. Everyone has different ideas. And everyone leads in a bit different way. By sharing the leadership experience you will have a much richer and diverse experience. Everyone will be better off. Horizons will be expanded and new adventures will take place. I find this in Bible Study all the time. I often find myself as the teacher, but I find that others have insights into the Scriptures that I would have never seen on my own. If I am always dominating the conversation, our group would miss out on some of those wonderful insights.
3) The best leaders are the best followers. There are many reasons for this. Maybe the biggest reason is that the best followers come with a humble heart. They keep in perspective the challenges of those who are following. And ultimately, the best leaders are those who are the best followers of Jesus Christ. If we are not following him, we will be ill equipped to lead anyone. Not every follower will make a great leader, but every great leader will be a great follower.
In the end, if you are a leader, remember it is not about you. The greatest compliment that can be given to any leader is when they can step aside and others will fill the gap and not miss a beat because you have “leadered the followers.” In other words you have raised followers up to be leaders.
