We all aspire to be great leaders, we talk about what it requires to be good leader because leaders are the heartbeat of every successful organization. But would there really be an organization if there are no good followers?

I have always had the dream to be a leader someday, to have thousands of people work under me, to be an employer and to direct people and lead people, I am sure we all have dreams similar to this. Just like some of us, I have really not had a choice to follow someone so closely until some few weeks back, after rounding up my undergraduate activities and was wondering what was next. I meet an old not so close friend who had a few discussions with me where he told me about the business he was into.

This business basically races leader to be leaders, a business where online digital skills are thought, they also teach how to monetize the skills and how to invest while making money. Cool right? these basically sets one’s part away from working years under a boss and collecting salaries. When I got to the office, I saw a lot of young people who operate in another level of understanding, they work as a team to achieve tremendous results, they give mind trainings every day, motivation and teach people how to be a leader.

I began to see reasons why it is essential to go through the stage of followership if one must become a great leader because it is at the stage of followership that one learns how to be a great leader. I have learnt a lot since I joined Faith Heroic Global Enterprise, the system there enables you to be taught and teach those come after you, it’s a people empowering people program.

Edited by me using photoshop

Every great leader/man you know today were all great followers at a point, most of them are still great follower till date. Remember that no one is an island of knowledge, and to move on the fast lane in life one has to constantly learn from the mistakes of others and lessons others has to teach. This is why I will be discussing shortly on some few things we should know about being a follower.

Things to look out for before choosing someone to follow
Should we lookout for how rich, old or experienced they are or should we lookout for what goals they have, how goal driven they are and the things they do daily and constantly to ensure that they achieve their goals. Anyone can be rich through various means and get poor again, some people has been able to acquire riches by unsustainable means, and if new knowledge is not being acquired it is more likely that the riches varnishes in no time. Money is a spirit, It’s either increasing or it starts to reduce the moment it stops increasing.

A man can also be Old and experienced but have a stiff attitude towards learning and changing, what is the essence of experience when one is not willing to learn from it? but a man with goals, passionate about the goals and working hard and smart daily towards achieving the goal might not me rich at the moment, might even be way younger than you but this man will always grow and become great, and he has the ability to lead you to greatness.

Qualities that makes up a great follower

1. Positive mindset
Note that one follows a leader he wants to be like some day and one also be a follower that he would like to have one day, so in other to be that good follower one must always have a positive mindset. At first, a follower might not see the vision that his leader has, it might sound unreal but with a positive mindset he would be able to align to the vision as fast as possible.

2. Humility
A follower must also exercise humility and contain his ego. Remember that a leader might be far younger than you, but he has something to offer in terms of knowledge and he likes, he might appear strict when he perceives that some gaps are left open, you have to keep your ego aside completely and try as much as possible to keep your positive mindset intact.

3. Pay close attention
The stage of being a follower is the stage where you learn how to lead, this means that a follower must pay close attention to his leader, he must be able to listen to what his leader has to say not only for the good of the present but for the use of the future when his own time to lead will come.

4. Team player
A follower must be willing to be a team player even if the role assigned is to do the dirty jobs in the team, remember that being positive in what so every you’re doing as a team will contribute in the overall progress and result of the team. As a team you can’t afford to have weak link.

Note
To conclude my write up on being a follower, It is important to note that we are all humans and no one is perfect. We all have our strengths and at the same time we also have our flaws. As a good follower aspiring to become a great leader someday, it is important to keep your eyes open, think critically and, take note of what to be followed and filter out what not to be. You don’t need to judge your leader based on his flows, you only need to filter it and try as much as possible to stay positive.
Do have a wonderful weekend, @corporateay.