43 But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant,[a] 44 and whoever would be first among you must be slave[b] of all. 45 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:43-45 ESV)
I believe firmly that a good leader must first be a good follower. If we are unwilling to put ourselves in the place of following, how can we ever show ourselves to be good leaders?
This can be in our relationship with our boss and our employees, or in the place of husband and wife, or parent and child. As we grow in our relationships with others we must look to them for those strengths we do not necessarily possess. Allowing others to lead in situations where their leadership is better than our own displays strength, not weakness.
If we think we have to know it all and have the right answer in every situation we are fooling ourselves. God puts people around us who compliment us. He desires that we model both leadership and servitude in equal measure. This can be difficult when people are put in positions of leadership and they let it go to their heads. Or when leaders do not foster strong followers who ultimately can take on greater responsibility.
Being willing to take another’s lead is part of who we are in Christ.
