Leadership Article

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Category: Kid's Corner & Activities

LEADERSHIP - The position or function of a leader, a person who guides or directs a group

I have said this for years and truly believe that “to be a great leader, you must be a great follower”.  Some might ask how you can be both.  I am going to give you some examples as well as some goals to set to do just this very thing.

We can turn to the Bible to learn about how some very amazing leaders began first as diligent followers.  Let’s look at Joshua.  He followed Moses for more than 40 years before he lead the children of Israel into the promised land.  Elisha followed while serving Elijah for 10 years before he took up his master’s mantle became a leader who went on to perform even more miracles.  We also can not forget to mention the Apostle Peter and the fact that he followed Jesus for 3 years (and let’s not forget the fact that he made many mistakes while doing so) before he became the great leader that he was.

We could look back in history at some of, what we may view as, the worst leaders ever.  They were not followers and as a result they become tyrants, making the lives of their followers miserable. 

What does a great follower look like?  Let me give you a couple of ideas on what I think makes a great follower.

  1. They embrace their current role.  They understand that everyone has someone they are following.  You need to know who your leader is and embrace the role you currently have as a follower.  Keep in mind you will probably be a follower at the same time you are a leader to someone else.
  2. They are obedient.  Great leaders model their obedience as a follower to those who are following them.
  3. They have servants hearts.  A great follower will have self-discipline recognizing what needs to be done and join in to help the leader accomplish given goals.  They do this joyfully!
  4. They are humble and have integrity.  A great follower will not make things all about themselves.  They know their role and do all they can to help those around them.  They are always honest and uphold very strong moral principles exhibiting self-control even if they feel out of control.
  5. They have an unbreakable sprit.  Just like the example of Peter, we all make mistakes.  We are human.  When mistakes happen we need to grow from them, not let them tear us down, and move forward.
  6. They are loyal.  Great followers are allowed to disagree and even criticize in certain situations, but they should never do this in public.  Should a situation arise where there is conflict, a great follower will share this information with their leader in private as to preserve the unity between leaders and followers.

As your Chief Instructor, it is part of my job to help you to grow into better leaders.  Embrace the opportunities I present you to step out of your comfort zone and let’s all become better leaders!

 ACTIVITY 

LEADERSHIP TRAITS
                                       

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Find each word in the above puzzle:

Honesty          Clear          Communicative          Focus          Integrity          Genuine        Passion             Loyal              Supportive  Compassionate          Respect       Servants          Confidence    Engaging           Obedient         Caring        Empowering              Human