Lead Worth Following

     What makes a person a leader? What makes a person influential? In this world we have different types of leaders: Political, managerial, philosophical, parental, religious. But there is one thing they have in common: They are inspirational. They motivate us to think like they think, to be who they are, to live out their passions, and to die for their causes. This can be dangerous or helpful. We can all list leaders on both sides of the coin. Churchill and Hitler, Lincoln and Stalin, pharisees and apostles, terrorists and humanitarians, Mom and Dad (ok, not really. At least, I hope you don't have a parent who is a tyrannical dictator).

      Each inspired their followers to act upon what they believed. They were just one person, but through their words and character, they left an impression on lives and history in a way that will never be forgotten. But that leaves a few questions. Like, how did they do it? And how can we do the same?

     There are many answers for these people being successful as leaders, but the number one reason is simple. To those they inspired, they were worth following. These leaders, though some immoral, gave their followers vision and purpose. Some offered inner peace, others prosperity, others authority. Even those who used fear to lead promised protection and a future if people would submit. They were believable, either through casting a grand vision or through their actions, they inspired either love or fear, and thus won followers. They inspired those they led to ideals and it did not matter if they were honest or faithful in their follow-through. As long the leaders convinced their followers they were worth following, they would die for those leaders and ideals (and many did).

     So then what does that mean for you and me? Simply, we will have followers if we lead worth following. Of course we need to be able to communicate the ideals, seem to have the authority (or be able to get the authority) to follow-through, and seem to be trust worthy to do what we say, but above all, those who wish to lead, must be those worth following. We must show that if they trust us, we can guide our followers to where they want to be.

     Now there is the how. How do we lead worth following? In my next post I will talk about what I call the Theatricality of Leadership. A theory on how we appear to be those worth following and thus inspire others to follow. Until then, ponder what you want to lead people to.


Z.A. Lewis
Lead worth following