Calling all followers!

In a world where times change in the blink of an eye, where economics, politics, and religion are all that are being talked about, where the security of our current status may be shaken by inconsistencies in leadership, we are called to produce our best in all circumstances, without waiver to our task. What happens when the efficacy has left us following an injury sustained by the organization we currently serve or one in the past? What happens when we feel timid in our position because we do not want to risk losing our job during this time of inconsistency? What happens when we have leadership skills within us, but feel as though there is no outlet for them? What if we were not called to be a follower but we still desire to have an impact on the organizations in which we serve? What do we do with all of our life experience if we feel our voice will be stifled?

This is the purpose for this site: to share with its audience the roles that followers can play within any organization, regardless of position, competence, or confidence. Each member of a society has a place within that society and has gifts that can be fitted to the benefit of that polis. We, as individuals within that society, need to learn how to extract these gifts, not only from others, but from ourselves. We find ourselves in a generation where leadership training and development takes a much higher place over followership training and development, when in reality, the leaders have the most training to begin with, helping them get them into the current capacities they carry. Those leaders that are in place that have not had the thorough education or training have been given gifts of leadership that are intrinsic and have been given opportunities to build upon these behavioral traits. Sure, they need development too, but we all do; we all need to be developed to be better critical thinkers, be more outspoken about this critical thought, and be confident in our positions as to defend them with credibility. This is what can establish a good leader/follower relationship.

This is my call to organizations: to develop all members of the organization to work hand in hand as leaders and followers for the common mission of the organization. Ira Chaleff notes, "Leaders rarely use their power wisely or effectively over long periods unless they are supported by followers who have the stature to help them do so." This is my call to followers and organizations. Let us develop the followers within our organizations to make this dichotomy of position disappear in a spirit of cooperation towards a central mission.