Some will follow. Some won’t. Lead anyway. Inherently people will wander aimlessly if left to their own ways. Something inside the majority of us yearns to be led. We demand structure to which we can frame our lives around. Without good leadership, things fall apart. When a leader’s heart is ignited by passion, it bursts through all the barriers that stand in its way. Not the passion brought forth for glory or fame but for the greater good. The kind of passionate leadership birthed in love for one another triumphs over all manner of evils that oppose it.
People see leadership as necessary, but followers rarely take the time to understand the suffering it entails. Only those close to the action truly know how much it cost to be a leader. Dedicated leaders undoubtedly lose sleep, work longer hours, and take on more projects than they can bare. The sad side of this is that followers don’t see many of the behind-the-scenes activities. Strategic thought, planning, and debate go into each high-level decision made. Followers simply have no idea, mostly because they have never had to lead anything. While wearing a badge of ignorance, they believe they have been given the authority to criticize leaders and are full of their own ideas – ways in which things could be done better.
Leaders are consistently exposed to the full force of criticism from people outside their circle and even those close to them. Let criticism be a reminder that you are indeed doing something constructive. People do not stand in a graveyard and criticize that which is dead. No, they only attack something that is alive and flourishing. They are so convinced that they must speak their opinion, as if it were the voice of a thousand collective souls, screaming to be heard. What energy they waste. If only they used that energy in something constructive, what gains could be made?
Never mind the hearsay of the naysayers. Forget the taunts of those who dare not walk in your shoes. Use what energy you are given to carry out your purpose and lead those with whom you are called to lead. Be it one or be it many, serve your people with the heart of a servant!