Let Them Lead

Pasagdi sila magtrabaho nan ila, pagtabaho nan imo! It has come to the attention of many that a lot of unsolicited comments and opinions are sprouting in the social media sites on how leaders must act and what should they do. There were some who wonder who these personalities are and what gave them the confidence to air their seemingly righteous words. Are they schooled in leadership? Most of them are making the freedom of speech and expression as their crutch. But are these freedoms absolute?

Becoming a leader is neither simple nor straightforward. Leaders fully realize that leadership is a complex, multifaceted capability, with myriad nuances and subtleties and that the characteristics that can help a person succeed in one environment may lead to failure in another situation.

Harvard Business professors Sorcher and Brant (2002) said that to assess a candidate properly, people must consider the full range of leadership criteria, including the various “soft” skills and characteristics, such as personal integrity, that are difficult to judge.

But people are not the same in terms of judgment. During elections, it’s either they depend on their emotions or their votes are bought. Selfish motivations can be gleaned. Political analysts are even divided on the way our elections turn out. But then we accept the concept of Vox Populi, Vox Dei (Latin, the voice of the people is the voice of God).

So these leaders are chosen. We can simply accept them as the anointed individuals or the lucky ones. It is either we have to accept them or live with them. The ranting that some of them are not the RIGHT ones is an exercise in futility!

The real question now is: Are you a good follower? Or, do you go above and beyond?

Followers do their jobs, and that’s it. No matter how good they may be at those jobs, it rarely occurs to them to go beyond their basic functions. Leaders, on the other hand, see their job descriptions as the bare minimum—the foundation upon which they build greatness. Leaders see their real role as adding value, and they add it whenever and wherever they see an opportunity (Bradberry, 2015).

There were times when this writer was offered positions to lead in a macro scheme. But due to the practiced introspection, this realization came: The person can work well with micro-leadership since outcomes are tangible and innovations can be created and controlled. Contrary to handling people in a macro way, those things are difficult to attain. The leadership will fall on delegation and generic outcomes. So, the decision to be a leader in a micro-scale was chosen. In reality, it takes a lot theoretical learning and practical actions to master the art of leading.

The question now is: theory or practice? Klabnik (2012) posits, these two separate realms are connected through a process of abstraction and application. To explain this relationship by way of theory, Theory deterritorializes Practice, and Practice reterritorializes Theory: a Theory which is a becoming-Practice and a Practice which is a becoming-Theory. To explain this relationship by way of practice, Theory is abstracted Practice, and Practice is applied Theory.

There are people who believe that leadership is an innate skill and based on experience. But wherever you may position this idea, formal (or any) education really counts. The theories, ideas and concepts build a strong foundation in the way leaders think and form decisions.

So, we go back to main point: Why do a lot of people pose as good leaders by giving unsolicited opinions and even insinuating solutions to problems brought about by this pandemic? Is it because of this platform (the social media sites) where anybody can become somebody? Is it because of misunderstood democracy? Or has leadership become what George Orwell envisions in his dystopian novel titled 1984 where everything is under the surveillance of Big Brother?

Why can’t we just be followers? Becoming a follower is the ability to be led. Yes, there is an art to this; it’s a craft. While a leader’s role is to set vision and define objectives, a follower’s role is to fulfill those defined objectives. Followers execute. Deliver. Fulfill. Perform. Do. They’re honest, dependable, competent, and assertive.

In his book The Art of Command, Jeffery J. Matthews points out that in most organizations, leaders already inherently play the part of follower. Being effective at followership contributes to successful leadership. There is a feedback loop of success when we seek opportunities to both lead and follow. As we hone our followership skills, we become better leaders. As leadership opportunities increase, we become better followers.

Yes, we will become better leaders when we understand how to respect and be good followers. By the time we will be chosen, designated, appointed, elected or anointed to become one, we can utilize all the studied theories and apply the learned concepts through calculated actions.

Meanwhile, why not do tangible outputs within our areas of control?