The unexpected gift of being a good follower
In our competitive, goal-oriented, success-driven society, we often hear about what it takes to be a good leader. Well-meaning bosses, mentors, friends, and even our families, tell us that we have what it takes to lead and that we should lead. But for those of us who seek to follow Jesus in everything we do, we need to understand that, like with most things in the world, Jesus upends our expectations and how we think the world should work.
Scripture talks about followership three times more than leadership. If being a leader was the goal, wouldn’t God’s Word provide a bigger study of leadership? But we need to understand that following well is more important to God than leadership.
We may never lead, but we will always follow.
This means that we do not all have to become CEOs to succeed—we have to say yes to whatever Jesus calls us to.
Jesus upends our expectations and how we think the world should work–including expectations about leading and following.
Many of the saints provide wisdom for us as we learn to lean into the apparent smallness of our life in Christ.
What the saints can teach us about following
Mother Teresa (St. Teresa of Kolkata) said it best when she said, “I’m not called to be successful; I’m called to be faithful.”
St. Therese of Lisieux was known for her “Little Way,” which was first and foremost rooted in the belief in and reliance on God’s deep, personal love for each person.
St. Catherine of Siena is famous for saying, “Be who God made you to be, and you will set the world on fire.” Do you notice that she did not say, “Become the best leader ever, and you will set the world on fire”?
Before we can be who God made us to be, we must first learn how to follow St. Therese’s Little Way and believe that God loves us.
When we know he loves us, we know that we matter to him—even if no one else knows our name.
And when we know that God knows us and loves us, faithfulness becomes an easier measuring stick for life than how successful we are.
This week, practice followership by:
- Praying for your leaders, especially the ones you’re in daily contact with.
- Doing whatever your leader tells you (as long as it is moral and ethical).
- Helping your leader(s) by providing solutions, not just reporting problems.
And, if you want to read more about strong followership, check out The Courageous Follower by Ira Chaleff.
