In a Land of Leadership, where do followers fit?

 I observe things. Things about our culture, society, what is trending. Buzz things, fads, hype, self-help inspiration. That kind of thing. And in recent years I've noticed that our culture lauds and applauds leaders, leadership, growing in your leadership, being a leader. It is especially rampant in the Christian sub-culture. "You are a leader!" "How to be a more spiritually qualified leader!" "Leading your family!" "Leading your Church!" It's everywhere.

I remember being in a Bible study and there being a big section on leadership and studying the Bible with an eye to leadership: Look at Moses! Look at Samuel! Look at Deborah (oops, don't look at her...apparently she was just filling in for the men who failed to show up...*or so they say*) (Of course, I say, please, please DO look at Deborah who wasn't merely filling in for her male lacklustre comrades). The list goes on: these were good leaders, these were bad leaders. You have those who failed in leading, those who were stellar at it.

It's just a bit too much for me. Where does this fixation come from? It leaves me puzzled. It leaves me concerned. It leaves me feeling glum. Look at me! I'm not very leader-like. What's wrong with me!? Where do I fit? The world is obsessed with leader-formation. I am simply obsessed with formation: you know, formation to the image of Christ, as He forms me into a unique, God-glorifying reflection of Him? That's what I'm after. Not the trendy: 'Look at me and how great I lead!' No, in fact, I'm more of a: "He must increase and I must decrease" kinda gal.

I'm not trying to throw cold water on the vigor of this agenda, this aim to get people to pay attention to leading. By all means, I'll let the rest take care of that. And for the rest of us, who may not see ourselves as leaders, is there not a place for us to come aside and learn what it means to follow? Because I find a serious lack of material aimed at followers. It's all about how to get followers rather than to BE one.

But Jesus clearly invites us to follow Him.  So there's that.

I wish I could actually lead the world, and the sub-Christian culture, to focus a bit more on following. It is a serious mockery to refer to groups of people as 'sheeple'. I know why and where it comes from. It mocks group-think and those vulnerable to peer pressure. I get that. But how about we look at what it means to be God's 'sheeple' - per Psalm 100: We are His people and the SHEEP of His pasture. How about that? God calls us to actually follow. 

Maybe we've asked too many of the wrong questions. As a Spiritual Director, people sometimes look to me to lead, and I'm okay with that, but my real aim is to follow the Shepherd alongside and with my Directees. This is what it means to be formed to the image of Christ: to follow Him well, to take His lead, to listen to His radical voice. And He tells me it's right and good to be a follower. To be one who follows Him. The pressure is off. The pressure to be a leader is off. I can lead if He guides me to that, but in the meantime, I can follow. Faithfully following the Good Shepherd is a calling for ALL of us, whether we practice dynamic styles of leadership or simply embrace our non-leadership selves.

I once heard a friend talking about his time in the army. He was talking about how his overseers were building him into a leader, and the first goal of theirs was to help their future leaders to be capable, willing, and focused followers. Following preceded leading.  It seems too many are getting the cart before the horse. If leadership is anyone's goal (and frankly, it isn't mine), it would behoove them to learn what it means to follow and to follow well.

Recently in an organization I'm a part of, there was a decision made that likely disgruntled a few people. There may have been pushback - I don't know, I'm not privy to such things, but it's just a hunch I have (and I'm rarely wrong in my hunches :D if I do say so myself!) And I wrote to the leader who made the decision and told him the following:

"I'm so sorry if you've received flack for the decision. It's a tough role you're in. It was a good decision. As a leader, you will often be in a place where you can't make everyone happy, and it's tempting to try. So much is written to train and help leaders lead, and so little about training followers to support and follow. I aim to support you in your leadership. I hope others will do likewise."

And this, my friends, is just a beginning of what it might look like to follow well. How often do you support your leaders? How can you make their job as a leader, a joy, and not a burden? Do you dwell in complaint-mode thinking, 'I could do it better!'? I'm sorry if I'm stepping on toes here. But I really think our society has a sad lack of respectful, supportive, followers.

Could it be that we've overdone it when it comes to leadership? So many want to be a leader and in this society we're going to fall apart if no-one is there to support and serve in some of the more un-glorious capacities! Especially in churches. I see faithful, servant-hearted followers giving of their time, energy, effort, attention. These followers don't get attention or acclaim. They don't stand in pulpits. They don't perform. They don't offer inspiring words of wisdom (generally, though I'm sure they do at times, we just don't hear about it much). But these are the faithful, dedicated, backbone of any organization. Without the followers the world would just fall apart.

I can just see trying to write a publish a book (that would never get published!): The Soul of the Faithful Follower.  Sounds kinda boring. It's more exciting to read things that inspire leadership, right?

Or how about: Steady Follower, the Life of the Unknown and Unacclaimed.

Yeah, not about to be a best-seller. I think a bookstore wouldn't get it in the first place, but if it accidentally did, it would be on the back clearance section shelf.

No-one is looking for how to follow better. How to serve more faithfully. How to support, encourage, and strengthen those who are called to lead.

Get this: we're not all called to lead. But we're ALL called to follow.

And if you're one still sensing a call to lead, let me not stand in your way! By all means, take up that mantle and responsibility. But as you do so, learn the first rule of the leader: Follow. Follow well. Follow wholeheartedly. And only lead insofar as you follow the Good Shepherd of your soul.