Who Is Our Problem? The Leaders or the Followers?

Every organisation or society is made up of leaders and followers. Leaders emerge either by election, selection, or responsibility. As a matter of fact, true leadership is not by position, but by responsibility.

It is generally believed, just like the words of John C. Maxwell that, everything rises and falls on leadership. This invariably means that, every success or failure can be attributed to the leader. While this assertion is true to a reasonable extent, it will be erroneous to think that followers do not have a role to play in the success or failure of a system.

Much have been said about leadership, but less have been said about followership. It should be noted that followership is a pathway to leadership. Therefore, every good leader was once a good follower and every bad leader was once a bad follower.

Now to the question; who exactly is our problem: the leaders or the followers? This is an age-long question that has poured in several answers from the citizenry. An average of 75% respondents believe that leaders are our problem, while an average of 25% respondents believe that followers are our problem.

Let us have a quick analysis on both responses with practical illustrations.

THE LEADERS: OUR PROBLEM

First, who is a leader? A leader is someone ahead of others in thoughts, plans, visions and responsibilities. A leader's actions influence the decisions of others. The leader goes the extra mile in making sacrifices for the followers, knowing fully well that they are the key players in the team. When these qualities or expectations are lacking, the leader becomes a problem.

Consider the following practical illustrations:

1. The leaders are our problem when they give opportunities to those who don't deserve it, while those who are qualified by all standard are deprived. 

2. The leaders are our problem when they lack clear and compelling vision and mission statements. What most of our leaders claim to be their vision is just a wish that lacks direction. And the few who have visions do not share the visions with like-minded people who can be onboarded to work with them as a team in bringing the vision to fruition.

3. The leaders are our problem when they are not accountable to their followers or team members, having the mindset that there is nobody to be accountable to, since they are the most superior in that organisation or community.

4. The leaders are our problem when a poor person who stole a thousand naira in the market is prosecuted, and a political leader who loots millions of naira is given fair trial or overlooked.

5. The leaders are our problem when they appoint the wrong persons to fill their cabinet, knowing fully well that the one who was appointed is not fit for the job, but considered based on selfish interest.

6. The leaders are our problem when we value foreign products than our local products, despite being blessed with the raw materials or natural resources that are left untapped.

7. The leaders are our problem when the leaders are well secure while the led are exposed to bandits.

The practical illustrations are endless as one can go on citing different illustrations to justify the reasons leaders are our problem.

THE FOLLOWERS: OUR PROBLEM

Some are of the opinion that leaders are not our problem, but the followers.

Who is a follower? A follower is someone who comes after a leader. A follower is expected to follow mentally and adhere to any given instruction by the leader. A follower assists the leader; they are not expected to be passive as they have their part to play in the organisation or society. When these qualities or expectations are lacking, the follower becomes a problem.

Consider the following practical illustrations:

1. The followers are our problem when they misuse the democratic power they've got during the process of electing who becomes their leader. They deliberately silence their conscience for just a little morsel and then suffer for four years! The followers have forgotten in a hurry that in a democratic society as ours, power lies in the hands of the people.

2. The followers are our problem when they are not law-abiding. They break simple rules that a good citizen should abide by, such as the rules on the highway, at work, etc.

3. The followers are our problem when they give support to bad leaders when they are expected to speak up unanimously. Followers are divided, and that could be a major problem. Only few are advocates of good leadership, while majority are either afraid to confront bad leadership or remain silent because of what they are benefitting from the government.

In conclusion, it must be reiterated that both the leaders and the followers are guilty of the problems we are facing, but the bulk of it is from our leaders. We can, therefore, conclude that leaders are our problem but not without the indirect approval of the followers.

© Sunday Akinrelere