In this country and this time period, there always seems to be a big push in schools to create "future leaders". Children are taught that they must always be leaders to make any sort of a significant impact on the their own life and the lives of others. Most jobs also encourage people to be leaders, and list "leadership skills" as a requirement for an open position. With everyone being pressured to be a leader, I wonder, "Who is left to follow these leaders?"
Certainly we all know that most people don't become great leaders, and by default these people become the followers. But what if following was a choice rather than a default? What if we praised followers for doing their part as much as we praised leaders? Maybe then, more people would feel worthy by doing things other than leadership. Things that may come more naturally to them.
I am not saying that we shouldn't think for ourselves. It is never a good idea to blindly follow a leader just because you don't feel like you can stand up for what you believe. But I also don't think people who are not natural leaders should be pressured to fit into a mold of "future leaders". Being a very shy person, I can tell you I never enjoyed being a leader. I can barely decide what is best for myself, let alone a whole group of people. That kind of responsibility would be terrifying to me. Yet that doesn't mean I don't have anything to contribute to a group, and it also doesn't mean that I couldn't be a good leader if the situation required it. It just means that I prefer not to lead, and that most of my strengths lie elsewhere.
Leadership can be a great quality, but it is often favored over other, just as important, qualities. Who are we to force others to rely on their weaknesses? There should be praise for the strengths of followers as well as leaders. After all, what is a leader without followers?
