Do you remember
playing the children’s game, “Follow the leader”? None of us liked
following – we wanted to be the leader!
Leadership institutes, universities, and churches talk about “preparing tomorrow’s leaders,” but few of us give much thought to developing “tomorrow’s followers.” “Following is crucial” writes Anthony B. Robinson in the January 11th issue of Christian Century.
Robinson, of Congregational Leadership Northwest, tells the story of First Church whose pastor left. Leaders created a task force to identify what kind of leader the church needed. Thinking leadership is the key to success is dangerous, though. People can think that getting the right leader can “magically fix a church’s problems.”
The leaders of the church insisted the task force look at what it means to faithfully follow. They wondered what members of the congregation can do to help make the relationship with the pastor work well.
Unitarian minister Paul Beedle defines followership as “the discipline of supporting leaders and helping them to lead well. It is not submission, but the wise and good care of leaders, done out of a sense of gratitude for their willingness to take on the responsibilities of leadership, and a sense of hope and faith in their abilities and potential.”
Robinson says “good leaders and good followers…act as partners…Good followers remain free to think for themselves, but recognize a responsibility to help leaders lead well.”
During these next few weeks the weekly email will look at what Robinson -and the Bible- identify as keys to following well. What do these comments have to say to you about your role in the church and other circles of your life?
Following well first, according to Robinson, means recognizing that leadership is necessary, important, and difficult work. Robinson worked with a church in a university community that was unsure about the value of leadership. Its members didn’t think they needed a pastor. “We have lots of smart, capable people in our church,” they said. “We don’t need someone telling us what to do.”
Good leaders “seldom tell people what to do.” Instead, as Ron Heifetz says, “they help a congregation to identify its own most pressing problems and important challenges, and then to mobilize faith and resources to take on those challenges.”
A key role of a good leader is to question the values, beliefs, and habits of the congregation. That is dangerous work! “When you tell them something they don’t want to hear but need to hear, they may see only what they have to lose and not what they stand to gain.”
The Hebrews didn’t want to hear the hard truth Moses shared so they turned to smooth, people-pleasing Aaron. Jeremiah spoke up against the military-industrial complex and ended up being stuffed down in a hole in the ground. The disciples responded to the tough truth of Jesus by saying, “This is hard.”
Leadership is necessary. Someone needs to be speaking truth. Someone needs to help the church envision a new reality…a new way of living.
A leader cannot do this “unless there are followers who respond to the leadership and are willing to take some risks.”
Good followers encourage the leader to help people come face to face with the truth even when it is a hard thing. Because hard truth often has the capacity to set us free.
Good followers know the work of leading is dangerous and necessary.
In Christ and for Christ,Leadership institutes, universities, and churches talk about “preparing tomorrow’s leaders,” but few of us give much thought to developing “tomorrow’s followers.” “Following is crucial” writes Anthony B. Robinson in the January 11th issue of Christian Century.
Robinson, of Congregational Leadership Northwest, tells the story of First Church whose pastor left. Leaders created a task force to identify what kind of leader the church needed. Thinking leadership is the key to success is dangerous, though. People can think that getting the right leader can “magically fix a church’s problems.”
The leaders of the church insisted the task force look at what it means to faithfully follow. They wondered what members of the congregation can do to help make the relationship with the pastor work well.
Unitarian minister Paul Beedle defines followership as “the discipline of supporting leaders and helping them to lead well. It is not submission, but the wise and good care of leaders, done out of a sense of gratitude for their willingness to take on the responsibilities of leadership, and a sense of hope and faith in their abilities and potential.”
Robinson says “good leaders and good followers…act as partners…Good followers remain free to think for themselves, but recognize a responsibility to help leaders lead well.”
During these next few weeks the weekly email will look at what Robinson -and the Bible- identify as keys to following well. What do these comments have to say to you about your role in the church and other circles of your life?
Following well first, according to Robinson, means recognizing that leadership is necessary, important, and difficult work. Robinson worked with a church in a university community that was unsure about the value of leadership. Its members didn’t think they needed a pastor. “We have lots of smart, capable people in our church,” they said. “We don’t need someone telling us what to do.”
Good leaders “seldom tell people what to do.” Instead, as Ron Heifetz says, “they help a congregation to identify its own most pressing problems and important challenges, and then to mobilize faith and resources to take on those challenges.”
A key role of a good leader is to question the values, beliefs, and habits of the congregation. That is dangerous work! “When you tell them something they don’t want to hear but need to hear, they may see only what they have to lose and not what they stand to gain.”
The Hebrews didn’t want to hear the hard truth Moses shared so they turned to smooth, people-pleasing Aaron. Jeremiah spoke up against the military-industrial complex and ended up being stuffed down in a hole in the ground. The disciples responded to the tough truth of Jesus by saying, “This is hard.”
Leadership is necessary. Someone needs to be speaking truth. Someone needs to help the church envision a new reality…a new way of living.
A leader cannot do this “unless there are followers who respond to the leadership and are willing to take some risks.”
Good followers encourage the leader to help people come face to face with the truth even when it is a hard thing. Because hard truth often has the capacity to set us free.
Good followers know the work of leading is dangerous and necessary.
Mark
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