Leading Up - The Powerful Influence of Followership

If you have ever watched Dancing With the Stars or So You Think You Can Dance? you know that when two people are matched together to learn a dance there is one thing that must be established first before anything else can happen: They must decide and agree on who is going to lead. That's because the things that a leader does, the steps and movements he makes, are different than the steps and movements that his partner- his follower- makes.
And if you have ever watched a couple attempt to dance when they are both trying to lead, you know what a mess it turns out to be. Awkward at best, tripping over each other at worst, it's a real disaster whether they are both trying to lead or both trying to follow.
There are distinct differences in these two roles in dancing- and there are distinct differences in these two roles in ministry or business.
Most of us are in a position that we must report to someone. We need to remember that we have the power to influence those who lead us just as much as we have the power to influence those we lead. But the skills and behaviors you use when leading others are different than the "steps and moves" you make when you're following.
Following is more than passive assent. Following is not passive. It's active. It involves active behaviors and attitudes that dove tail with the behaviors and moves of the leader to make for a smooth, and often, fun dance.
To be an actively engaged follower remember these 5 "be-attitudes" of followership.

1. Be a Resource. Be a person who offers solutions to problems your leader or the team are trying to solve. In Exodus 18 we have a great example of Jethro offering Moses advice on how to manage all those hundreds of thousands of Israelites. Jethro was a resource to Moses by giving him a practical administrative solution called delegation. Think about how you can be a resource to your leader. Is there a book, an article, a website, a contact, a seminar, an event that you know of that would help your leader solve a problem or reach a goal?
2. Be a Team Player. Be a dependable go-to person who brings the team together, helps to heal divisions, brings energy and ideas to the team and collaborates easily. In Romans 16 we have a list of people who Paul said were dependable servants who worked hard for Christ and even risked their lives for the sake of the gospel. Be a team player that your leader can count on to unite the team through tough times.
3. Be a Friend. Leadership is lonely. Leaders need trusted friends who they can be real with and are safe to talk to. The best Biblical example I can think of is Jonathan in I Samuel. Jonathan loved David, not because he would be king, but just because he was David. Take the initiative to build a relationship with your leader and be a friend who will keep her confidence and encourage her when she's tired.
4. Be a Truth Teller. Warren Bennis says that the most important quality of a good follower is the will and the courage to tell the truth to the leader whether or not he wants to hear it. Nathan the prophet comes to mind when in 2 Samuel 12 he confronted King David about his sin with Bathsheba. Actively engaged followers say what needs to be said even when it risks their own well being. This may be the hardest thing to do. I can't help but also think of Esther who had to muster the courage and the faith to speak to her husband the King about his right-hand-man Haman who was not who the King thought he was. Have the courage to say the hard things. There is no better way to serve your leader.
5. Be an initiator. Be a follower who doesn't have to wait to be told what to do. Come to the table with ideas, plans and solutions of your own. In I Samuel 17 young boy David didn't have to be recruited to take on Goliath. In fact, no one would've even thought of him. But he stepped up to take on the Philistine and swiftly took him down with his slingshot. Take territory for your leader and help lighten her load.

If we can become better followers- actively engaged followers - our leaders will look forward to hearing what we have to say and over time, begin to look to us for input, advice and feedback.

In a few days, what you should learn and know to be a more effective and influential follower.