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It behooves me to start by saying that leadership and helping followers KNOW, BE and DO are two sides of a coin. When people are following your leadership and they are not being made and built in line with their dreams and goals in life, it means that you are just occupying a leadership position; you are not truly leading them. Many people in Africa are occupying varied leadership positions—without knowing the real purpose of leadership. This is the major reason people’s lives are not being changed.
In Africa, leaders sit on their followers, milking them. Followers are consistently and daily breathing to only better the lot of their leaders. In other words, as a leader, the more followers you have, the more colorful your life and that of your children become. But the truth is; this is not what leadership is all about. Followers are supposed to sit on their leaders, and not the other way round. Leadership is tough. It is not a walk in the park. If people understand what leadership truly is, most of those who are calling themselves leaders today would run for cover.
Before you decide to follow a leader, you need to first of all ask yourself this question: is this man or woman already where I would like to be in the days to come? No one can lead you to where he or she is not. Remember, no one can give what he or she does not have. No one can teach you what he or she does not know. And no one can give you an experience that he or she does not have.
Many leaders today are not getting followers out of the quagmire of where they currently are—to where they are supposed to be in life and business; they are only using their followers to get to where they self-interestedly desire to be. And after using them, they would discard them like a tissue paper. This is one of the major reasons why many followers across the planet earth—are roaming the streets of their countries with deep hurts. Over the years, I have met with many weather-beaten and offended followers.
As a follower, after answering the question I earlier asked on the issue of knowing whether the man or woman you are planning to follow has gotten to where you would like to be or not. The next issue I am touching on has to do with the question of trust. And this is for you, on the condition that you are a leader. One of the major reasons why people do not open up to those following them is because they do not trust them. This is a very fundamental matter. I like to briefly counsel you as a leader not to allow anyone you do not trust to come into the core circle of those following you. You know why? It is a waste of time leading those you do not trust. As a matter of fact, without trust, you cannot effectively lead anyone.
It is unworkable to really open up to those you do not trust. This is why many followers in Nigeria only see results of their leaders, but do not understand the process birthing those results. They can see money, power and influence, but they do not know how to put them to bed. It is an appalling and awful disconnect that has destroyed many companies, families…When the arrow-heads of some companies die, no one will be able to continue from where they stop, because they have not been transparent to anyone.
Over the years, as a leader and a leadership expert, I have come to understand that when a leader is not thinking and seeing beyond the moment, he or she will never get anyone to where he or she is in influence, power, authority, exposure…Only leaders who are generational conscious get people from the low level of where they (the followers) are to the high level of where they (the leaders) are. Are you a leader reading through this piece? I advise that you shift your gaze beyond today and see the days ahead when you will no longer be around, breathing. What happens to the organization you are leading when you are no longer around? Will it die or continue to wax strong?
As a follower, it is a waste of time relating to someone—who is not willing to allow you relate to him or her up, close and personal. There are too far many people today, who are having: e-leaders, e-mentors…True leadership involves an intimate relationship. Remove relationship from leadership, then what is left is of no use.
As an effect of what I do on social media, I do get many requests almost on daily basis from people wanting to follow me online. And I do always tell them civilly and politely that I do not believe in online followership. I only believe that a follower should be able to relate to a leader intimately and that cannot be achieved through either facebook or twitter. Remember, the bridge that connects a leader to a follower is a cherished and an intimate rapport and relationship.
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One of the major things that should dominate the thinking of every leader should be how he or she is going to make a space for those who are following his or her leadership, so that they too can be where he or she is in influence, affluence, power, authority, exposure…If those who are following you are not already going through the process of getting to where you are in every sphere of life, then you are not leading them, you are only wasting their time.
Lastly, it is the onus of every leader to prepare their followers for the place that you have prepared for them. You do not only prepare a place for them, you also prepare them for it. You have to be very deliberate and strategic about training your followers. The kind of training I am talking about is deeper than what you can achieve within a classroom. You will need to become open to them, so they can literally journey with you in the field of life.
See you where great leaders are found!
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