Lead - Follow?

One question for you today.  Are you a leader or a follower? Simple question you might think but think about it a little longer.  Leaders are described as those individuals who take charge. They lead for many reasons. Mostly they just enjoy seeing things getting done. Here is an interesting way of looking at leadership.  “I’m going to clean up this room today and get it shipshape and thereby showing others what can be done.” Mm mmm, let me think about that for a minute. Yes, it’s leadership but, is there anyone following?  It’s good to show how a task can be done but it is only accomplishing its intended conclusion if someone notices and repeats the task you have shown them that needs to be done.
You see the best definition I have heard on leadership is; A leader is someone who has someone following them.  So, what is a follower? Here is my definition.  A follower is someone who comes along side a leader and observes what they do and then learns to do the same things. Is that good for you?
Two interesting things come from this. First, you can’t have one without the other. Yes, we can step out and do things but if it is just us doing things on our own, we are not a leader? We are just an accomplisher, if there is such a word. Here’s another thought, we are not human doers, we are human beings. Think on that for a moment or two.
Secondly, if we are just followers, we only accomplish the task given us. And that means, we are just cogs in the wheel of life and take no ownership. No input, just do this and let me know when it’s done. I lived that once and only once. The reason only once was, I realized early on we are both leaders and followers.  There is always someone to look up to and there is always and ever will be someone to pass on what we know.
I have a dear friend, I will call him Val, because that’s his name. I have always admired Val’s ability to fix clocks and watches. I would take something into him, visit and then come back a week later and pick up the clock or watch. Now, I have begun learning how to do it myself. He is my teacher and a good one at that. But here is the best part, what I am learning I will hope to pass on to someone else.
Jesus did that. He learned from God the Father, and as Paul wrote, what he received he was passing it onto faithful individuals. It continues today. Have you learned anything from God lately? Have you shared it? Now it’s your turn to be both a follower but a leader as well. Remember there is always someone looking up to you. What do they see?
Something to think about.
Rob