Followership

So, why when I am at a Leadership training program am I talking about followership?  Is that not the exact opposite of what I am trying to accomplish in my time here in The Forge?  The first time this concept was brought up in class, I thought I knew what leadership was.  However, I had this confused with managing individuals.  Management is an impersonal concept that is focused on placing people where they best fit to achieve the necessary goals.  In contrast, leadership is more focused on the person and helping them achieve all they can, even if it means exceeding our own desires.  With that being said, leadership is followership.  In order to be a good leader, one has to understand how to follow those whom they are leading.  It's a counter-intuitive idea.  However, how will a person lead another individual if they know nothing about them; their strengths, weaknesses, expectations, short-comings, etc?  Knowing the people that are following you is one of the most crucial points in being a good leader.  Yet, this information is not so that you can use them to further yourself or for ones own gain.  It is about helping them succeed in life, school, work, etc.

Partnering with that idea is the idea of servant-leadership.  Christ came into the world to serve, not to be served and if I am following His example, that is what I should be doing.  Serving others is not selfish; it is selfless. 

Combining both of these ideas together is crucial in order to be a "good" leader