“Why Do People Follow Leaders?” (S4Ep01)

What makes somebody a leader? And why do people really follow leaders in the first place? In this episode you’ll get four different answers from four different people: The Logician, the CEO, the Analyst, and Jesus. Each perspective offers something unique that will help you grow your flock and lead them somewhere meaningful.

The Logician

There are two questions that people must answer “yes” to in order to follow a leader.

1. Do they want to go where you are going?
2. Do they believe you can get them there?

The simple logic of leadership is communicating a vision your people believe in and having the ability to achieve it.

The CEO

Simply paying employees more doesn’t make them true followers. There are three things the CEO can provide to turn a group of employees into an army of missionaries.

1. Meaningful work
2. Personal growth
3. Sense of ownership

The Church offers all of these in abundance: the most meaningful work there is, the best personal and spiritual insight in making us saints, and the responsibility of caring for our neighbors.

The Analyst

Gallup asked 10,000 people: “What do you want in your leaders?” There were four key traits people said they look for in their leaders.

1. Trust
2. Compassion
3. Stability
4. Hope

Jesus

In John 10:1-5, Jesus gives us an image of why the sheep follow the Shepherd. There are three key takeaways.

1. The Shepherd enters by the door.
2. He calls the sheep by name.
3. The sheep follow the Shepherd because they know his voice.

Leaders don’t take shortcuts, they know each of their followers and call them by name, and their followers listen to them because they know and trust the voice of their leader.

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