Leaders vs. Followers

I am neither a leader nor a follower
but a gatherer

cj-85'

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You tend to hear people refer to someone as a leader: "She's a great leader…", "It's always nice to know we have a leader like him…", etc.… One thing we do not hear is people referring to someone as a follower. Could this be that we are afraid to follow, or do we put too much emphasis on being a leader?

Perhaps we think of leaders more highly because they tend to be the ones in the spotlight. Also, we may look to leaders more admiringly and wish that we had the same qualities as they do. I think that being a leader or a follower is not a full time commitment. Sometimes we are a leader and sometimes we are a follower.

Being a follower shouldn't be considered a bad thing. Many times we tend to follow someone's example— or even follow along with a group. We are not following blindly, but rather make the choice to follow.

I believe that we should recognize Leaders and Followers not as personality traits— but rather as roles that each of us play. We take on the roll of leader or follower when the situation calls for it— not because it is ingrained in our personality. How often do we find ourselves following someone's advice, or taking charge of the situation. We may not be recognized as a leader or a follower at those moments, but we are being a leader or a follower at the time.

Rather than asking what makes a good leader, I will ask what you think makes a good follower. What to you makes a good follower… discuss…