WHO SHOULD I FOLLOW?

Are you worrying on how you will become a good leader, the following tips will guide you on how to become a leader.

We said earlier on that no leader is recognized without followers. After all, how will leadership qualities be discerned without followers? There are generally so many ways in which people come into leadership position. Whichever way it is that someone ascends the leadership ladder followers are expected to make their work easy. How people become leaders is not as important as the fact that they are leaders and your attitude towards them is to serve them with sincerity. Wherever you find yourself as a follower, give your best. There are different ways through which people become leaders.

Here are some ways people become leaders.

1. Divine appointment. We all believe that everyone in a place of authority is there by divine permission. But there are exceptional cases where God purposefully directs you to work under a leader or God by his wisdom appoints someone to lead over others. Sometimes God will direct you to a leader, one whose vision you understand. This is done so that you may be trained under the leader. Some other times, God will make you stay under a leader to help him/her. Since you have an understanding of the vision, you will help the leader accomplish his/her assignment better. Sometimes God will direct you to follow a vision. In a situation like this you will be more connected to the system. Sometimes, even after the leader is gone either by death or whatever means you still stay with the system. Some other times the Lord will lead you to follow the leader as a person. Just serve the person as an individual. Sometimes you may not even do anything in the organization but for the leader. Elisha was pouring water on the hands of Elijah. In this case, you must know that it is not possible to follow a leader without following his/her vision, but, it is possible to follow a vision not the leader.

2. Divine directive. Follow the person God directed to you. Sometimes God will direct a leader to you to call you so you can work under him/her. God asked Moses to call Aaron. In the words of God Aaron was to be a Moses’ voice. Aaron was to say only what Moses spoke.

“Talk to him, and put the words in his mouth. I will be with both of you as you speak, and I will instruct you both in what to do. Aaron will be your spokesman to the people. He will be your mouthpiece, and you will stand in the place of God for him, telling him what to say.” Ex 4:15-17. Aaron had no plans to do ministry under Moses but, when God spoke, Aaron had no choice but to serve under the instructions of his younger brother.

Elijah threw his mantle on Elisha and he knew what that means. God may direct someone to you so you can work together. When this happens, you become a follower of such person. That was exactly what Elisha did when Elijah threw his mantle in him. There is almost no where we read about Elisha hearing God. Elijah heard God about Elisha he went to him and gave him a sign which Elisha understood what it meant. Without arguments or questioning he just followed. Elisha did not say let me hear God also, he simply believed Elijah. He followed the prophet everywhere, pouring water on his hand. Elisha was carrying the prophet’s bag, washing his cloths and doing so many lowly duties for him. Even at that, he was still in the perfect will of God. In most of these cases, the leader knew what God says while the follower was probably oblivious of what was going on. One of the greatest secrets of successful followership is to believe the leader even when you do not understand what he/she was saying. Leaders can call followers into service. The follower does not need to hear God personally. Just accept what the leader is says as long as it pleases God. This is an indication you are submissive to leadership.

3. Sudden appointment. Sometimes you just find yourself under a leader you do not know anything about him/her. Some of the ways such people become leaders could be through one of these ways.

a. Sometimes as a result of transfer someone gets elevated and a follower finds him/herself under this leader. When this happens, you are expected to submit and run with the leader’s vision.

b. Sudden appointments could also come through restructuring that will make someone a leader. An organization could decide to make someone a leader, sometimes as a result of promotion, new employment or upgrading. When this happens you will always serve under this leader. As a follower, you are expected to accept the leadership and make their vision a success.

c. Maybe situation causes you to be found under such a leader.

4. Inheritance; this is another means through which people come into leadership. This happens usually in kingship, companies or some systems where leadership is usually inherited. In this type there are usually heirs. There are people who become leaders because they are next in line for the position of leadership. People often find themselves in such organizations and you are expected to follow faithfully.

5. Succession; this is how some people get into leadership; they succeed others who were there before them. This happens sometimes through elections, hierarchical movements or a deliberate succession plan when the leader decides to handover the button to someone else.

6. Appointment: as a result of appointment some people become leaders. You may be in a system for a while but someone will be appointed over you to lead. You may even be in the system much longer than the person coming in. but, as a result of appointment you wake up to see someone placed over you. You have to listen to the leader and run with the leader’s vision.

Credited: leadership.ng