These two seemingly opposite roles being a leader or being a follower have shaped my experiences, guiding me through moments of uncertainty and clarity alike. There’s a lot I have learnt in my personal experience as I have transitioned from one to the other. It’s taken time to adjust, take a back seat and listen to the guidance of others and then it again takes time to get back into the driving seat and take charge.

Being a Follower:

There’s a certain humility and wisdom in knowing when to step back and trust in the guidance of others. As a follower, I’ve learned the importance of humility, cooperation, and open-mindedness, recognizing that I don’t have all the answers and that there’s always room to learn and grow. Whether it’s seeking mentorship from experienced professionals or supporting the vision of a leader, followership has taught me the value of collaboration and collective effort. I always try to go in with an open and inquisitive mind whenever I am in the learning mode, where I am trying to upskill myself or I find someone better to lead a certain task than me.

Sometimes it does get challenging when you have a teacher who sees me learning very quickly and assumes I require less attention, thereby diverting their attention to students they feel deserve it more. It leaves me a bit frustrated as I find myself again self learning things even after paying for the knowledge of an experienced person.

On the contrary it also gets challenging if I find a teacher I am in awe off, as in that case I start blindly following them, overlooking any negatives they may have. Takes time for my own self to kick in before I start asserting my points with them.

Nevertheless being a follower you learn a lot at a relaxed pace, where the challenge for me is to not let my leadership mentality dominate my relationship with the mentor/teacher or go to the point of being subdued that I lose myself.

Being a Leader

Being a leader is not easy especially on days when I find myself feeling low. I still have commitments and responsibilities. The most challenging is when I have to motivate someone else on such days, when what you want to say to the whole world is go to hell and crouch under your blanket!

Then there are even worse days when you have to fire somebody. I believe in giving people second chances in life. After all I have grown from being an extremely shy and awkward person to someone taking charge. But it unfortunately doesn’t work that way when it comes to other people. There is a cost involved and there are times when a person despite multiple warnings or because of the company’s monetary situation, has to be let go. Its tough, but over the years I have tried my best to separate my personal opinions about a person and their capacity to grow from the immediate need of the company. The question I ask myself is do I value them – YES, but are they adding value – NO.. then unfortunately they need to be let go.

In my journey, leadership has been a beacon of empowerment and inspiration. I’ve discovered that leadership isn’t just about holding a title or giving orders; it’s about fostering a shared vision, empowering others to reach their full potential, and navigating challenges with resilience and determination.

Follower to Leader

I have enjoyed and faced challenges in both roles. The Balance between the two is the most important thing. Being a follower helps build leadership qualities such as, keeping an open mind, listening attentively, constantly trying to learn, communicate effectively, thereby helping you lead by example. Whether it’s guiding a project to success or mentoring a colleague, from your own personal experience as follower you would be able to better guide others. And if at anytime you feel like you are failing as a leader, go back to being a follower. Just for a few days… and you will feel more confident in coming back and taking charge!

What do you prefer being.. A leader, a follower or both….

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