Would The Real Leader Please Stand Up

This is a subject that I have been reading and thinking about a bit lately, I would be interested to hear what others think.

It seems that a lot of people have a lot of different ideas about what leadership really is, and this is cool, I respect that, but I would like to share some of what I think leadership is about.

Some people ascribe to leadership as written, spoken, taught by people like Borden, Maxwell, and Hybels. Others prefer a view of leadership which seems to be at the opposite end of the scale to the teachings of people like John C. Maxwell, Bill Hybels and Paul Borden.

Personally I think I sit somewhere in between.

The reality is that everywhere in nature and society you will see one individual stand out above the rest and take on a role of leadership. We see it in pack animals with the Alpha male and female, we see it in social situations where one person takes the lead and coordinates with the others to achieve an outcome, we see it on the sporting field where one player is chosen as the team captain to encourage, motivate and direct the team. I think that anyone who denies that leadership is unnecessary or unnatural will struggle to support their supposition.

I think the real issue people have with leadership has a lot to do with what they have seen modelled to them. Of course, if people have been hurt by leaders then this will lead to a negative perception of leadership by them. In the same way, if you have had good models of leadership shown to you then your attitude and opinion of leadership will be much better.

So here is what I think makes a good leader, feel free to agree or disagree with me, let me know, I would be interested to hear what you think.

I truly believe that a leaders job is to seek the common purpose of a group and to co-ordinate, encourage, equip and resource those around them to move towards the goal. A good leader does not lead from the front, or the rear, or the middle, or from the top, or from the bottom. A good leader will lead from all of these positions at various times; sometimes leading the way and taking others with them, at other times empowering others to strive toward the vision, at other times holding the group up and together, and at other times allowing the group to take the lead for a time.

While a group may seek and decide upon a vision together I believe that it is the leaders job to keep this vision in focus and the group moving toward it. Occasionally it becomes the leaders job to say the hard words to some of those they are leading; while this is not something that either party is likely to particularly enjoy, it is necessary for both that this is done. For the one having the hard words spoken to them it is important for their growth and development, for the leader it is important that they do it for the well being of the team and the vision they are striving toward.

Leadership should never be about exerting power over others and seeking position for one's self, this style of leadership will always ultimately fail.

I don't believe that leaders are supposed to be some far off person out of range of those they lead. Good leaders need to be able to relate to the people they are leading. Leaders can only lead effectively if those they are leading are able to come to them and discuss questions, concerns, troubles and successes. But at the same time leaders need to be open about them selves, to a point. I believe that at some point, a leader being too open can affect the ability of the group to continue moving forward. People need to see that their leader is fallible and human, and has experienced much of what they are experiencing, but at the same time, a leader who is too open can lose the confidence of the group around them.

This may be an unpopular view, but I would like to suggest that not everyone is meant to be a leader. Have you heard the sayings "Too many cooks spoil the broth" or Too many Chiefs, not enough Indians"???

It is my experience that not everyone has the ability to be a leader, that is just the way it is. Many people will argue that leadership is not something that you are born with, but learn. I am not totally convinced that this is true. I think that leadership ability is something that comes naturally to some people, and while it can be taught, there are some who naturally will be better at it than others, just like in every area of life.

the reality is that leaders should be a minority. It is very hard to lead if no one is following, and if more than a small number are trying to lead, often in several different directions, the group, the goals and the vision will suffer.

Leadership is no picnic, it is hard, at times unpopular, incredibly demanding, and should not be lusted after. There is no shame in being a follower. Followers are vitally important, there is no condemnation, or shame, or lack of value in not being a leader.

My encouragement to you is this: If you feel called to be a leader, stop and think and pray about this. Leadership is incredibly rewarding at times, but it can be painful and unpleasant too. Decide if you are prepared to make the sometimes hard, and sometimes enormous sacrifices that a leader needs to make at times. If you are able to do this, then proceed, because it will be worth it in the end.