Chiefs and Indians

Search the word "leadership" on Amazon.com and you'll get 300,419 results for books that you can buy.

Search to word "Followership" and you'll get a sparse 2,294 results by comparison

It seems everybody wants to be, or thinks they are a leader.  The question is, how many leaders do you think we need?  Why don't we ever get good advice on how to be a good follower?  Ever notice that we have become completely distrusting, disinterested and disloyal to any leader, and hold that disenfranchisement up for high regard?  Unless of course the leader is you, then you expect a certain level of respect.  It's no wonder no one "good" ever wants to toss their name in the hat to lead.  Who'd want it with all the little chiefs running around sabotaging everything you try and do?

We were not all born to be great leaders.  Only a some can lead and fewer still lead well.  Maybe our level of contentment would raise if we learned to do our best in the position in which we find ourselves.  If we are all Chiefs, then we're really just all Indians.  Indians with enormous egos.  If you've ever watched Survivor you know that good leadership is important to any group.  What you may overlook though, is that the successful teams have good people willing to submit to the leader and do the work needed to achieve.  People today don't like that word "submit".  It causes the hairs to bristle and the defenses to raise.  Why, I wonder?  You expect your children to submit to your authority.  You expect the people at work to submit to your leadership.  Why would you not submit to someone as well?  Willingly and with respect.

Now I know someone will immediately want to run me to the extreme on this.  That's OK.  I don't think we can set our priorities, values and rules based on the extremes though.  It takes to parts to make a nation, company, organization or family work.  Leaders and followers.  Next time you're complaining about your leader, ask yourself how good of a follower you are.