Reaching Further: Did you know that the Leader-Follower relationship is key?

In my last post I defined leadership as a phenomenon involving the leader, the followers and the situation. Today, I want to talk about the link between a leader and a follower. Today, I want to talk about the link between a leader and a follower.
We have all been followers at some point in our life and many of us still are. Even the most famous leaders were followers at some point.

Let's consider the household setting for example; it is clear that parents are the leaders of the house while the children are the followers.While most parents seem to understand and apply their leadership role at home for the benefit of their children, it is usually not the case when leaders operate in a professional setting for instance.

Yet true leaders are expected, just like parents, to look out to the followers' benefits.

So how should true leadership look like? Let me share with you a leadearship story to exemplify what the role of the leader ought to be vis a vis his followers.

The Bridge Builder

An old man, going alone high way,

Came, at the evening,cold and gray,

To a chasm, vast, and deep, and wide,

Through which was flowing a sullen tide.

The old man crossed in the twilight dim;

The sullen stream had no fear for him;

But he turned, when safe on the other side,

And built a bridge to span the tide.

“Old man,” said a fellow pilgrim, near,

“You are wasting strength with building here;

Your journey will end with the ending day;

You never again will pass this way

You’ve crossed the chasm, deep and wide-
Why build you this bridge at the evening tide?"
builder lifted his old gray head:
“Good friend, in the path I have come,” he said,
“There followeth after me today,
A youth, whose feet must pass this way.
This chasm, that has been naught to me,
To that fair-haired youth may a pitfall be.
He, too, must cross in the twilight dim;
“Good friend, I am building this bridge for him.”
Will Allen Dromgoole
I found this poem quite inspiring. It may require another read, as my sister told me after reading it, and I agree.

I found this poem quite inspiring. It may require another read, as my sister told me after reading it, and I agree. In fact, it requires more than one. The message by the poet is so pertinent that is worth dwelling on. Yet, how many times have we encountered leaders who put their followers' benefits first?

As followers, we have probably accumulated more experience of leaders who seek to advance their own interests, often at the detriment of followers.

As John C. Maxwell said:

"True leadership must be for the benefit of the followers, not to enrich the leader."

As followers, we have probably accumulated more experience of leaders who seek to advance their own interests instead.

However we can learn from the bad leaders to avoid their ways just like we can emulate good leadership.

As I pondered on the subject, I could not help but think about Rwanda, my country, as we begin the commemoration of the Genocide against the Tutsi that occurred 23 years ago. It is not doubt, the genocide was the culmination of bad leadership. How could leaders whose role was to protect their citizens decide to kill them instead?

How could the hunger for power ever justify such atrocities?

As history teaches us, there is no justification for such atrocities - none. Yet, it happened. That is what bad leadership does. Fast forward to today.

"True leaders are there for the benefit of their followers, while false leaders see followers as for their own benefit."

Joseph Cubby

Rwanda, previously known for the Genocide, is now a reference for peace and security in the world; a model of growth and an example of forgiveness, reconciliation and resilience.

As a country and as a people, Rwanda has learned from its past and become better - beauty from ashes.

It is paramount to realize that this reality did not come by surprise or sheer luck. It was an intentional decision by the new leadership to move forward.

Depression, revenge, despair, and similar reactions were the natural choices after such destruction and evil. Yet, our great leaders knew that it would be the wrong move - not for the leaders only but for the followers - the citizens.

"A leader takes people where they want to go. A great leader takes people where they don't want to go but where they ought to be."

Rosalynn Carter

So as we commemorate the Genocide, let us never forget the power of good leadership. We, as Rwandans stand here today because of our leaders' choices; those who sacrificed their lives to stop the genocide. The leaders who spent sleepless nights and long days to rebuild the country. The survivors, who suffered the worst kind of human atrocities, yet chose to forgive for the sake of the whole. To them, we are forever indebted.

Those are the leaders who built the bridges we are walking on today.

"If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants."

Isaac Newton

So as we journey on in this life, and as we contribute as followers and future leaders, let us always remember to build bridges for those who will come after us.