Being a leader not a follower

Many people in my school are just followers. They wouldn't know what to do if you left them alone in life. I myself was guilty of this last year. Then I realized "umm wth am I doing just following these people around all the time?" What are the characteristics of an effective leader? Some people are just natural born leaders.

Have you ever been a follower?
Are you a follower?
Are you a leader?

Tags: follow, leader, people, problem, school

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Errol on January 19, 2009 at 6:44pm: I like following. If someone is doing something I enjoy doing, then I'll follow.

I lead if I need to and no one else wants to do it. :)

Leading means responsibility. My life is busy enough as it is to want to actually be a leader in anything.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by MacBaby16 on January 20, 2009 at 4:10am: I like your response :) I think in a lot of ways, most people are both..but really it is their own thing, like you said :); ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Matt DeFazio on January 23, 2009 at 3:26pm: Individuality FTW. :); ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Chukers on January 24, 2009 at 11:27am: Yo have to be a leader or follower... if neither then your left out in the cold... all alone and isolated... no one want to be there... even if you say you do. Everyone want to be a part of something. If your not Leading your following... you are always following someone or something even if you think your not. Its all been done before.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Kalessin on January 25, 2009 at 7:40am: If that was true, nothing new would ever happen. Someone always has to be the first to do anything. And leading, following and being left out in the cold are not the only options - for one thing, some people would genuinely rather be alone, cut off from the world (not that I'm one of them).

Not only that. I personally don't believe that any person can be clearly defined as leader or follower. Sometimes we lead, sometimes we follow, sometimes we do nothing, sometimes we're the only one doing something. No-one does one of these four to the exclusion of the others.

Anyway, it doesn't matter much what you do - after all, you can't have leaders without followers, as they wouldn't be leading. Likewise, you can't follow unless someone leads.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by JRela2000 on January 20, 2009 at 4:48am: I would more or less have to Xerox this synopsis here. I would add that a leader leads by example and influences through actions and inspires by words. It's not bad to be a follower as long as the purpose of following is to one day become a leader.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Errol on January 20, 2009 at 6:15am: "It's not bad to be a follower as long as the purpose of following is to one day become a leader."

What's wrong with being a follower even if you don't plan on becoming a leader?

Not everyone can be a leader.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by JRela2000 on January 20, 2009 at 10:46pm: Yes everyone can. Everyone can be a leader within their own right. Imagine being a leader for yourself. Following your own lead. Leadership begins within yourself. Being a follower with no purpose is giving away your own identity. You make decisions, even if they are for yourself. That/s the function of a leader.

What's wrong with believing in yourself?; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Errol on January 23, 2009 at 4:33pm: Nothing at all.

But there are many types of things you can be a leader in, and things you can't. You don't need to be a leader in everything.

If one is secure in one-self then it doesn't matter if one is leading or following. :)

That's my point really.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Kalessin on January 25, 2009 at 7:41am: well said; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by jake on January 20, 2009 at 4:03am: yea i agree with ur post.
im not a trouble maker.

there is this kid that anoys the hell our of me in every way posible one day i got so sick of it i punched him 3 time in the side of the head gave him a hell of a head ach and a bleeding head and he ran away to get all his mates they all ganged up on me and i got punched in the face once. my mate tried to help me out but he got draged out. i didnt get punched in the face by the one i punched. he was a weak coward acting strong; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by CK13 on January 20, 2009 at 6:14am: heres the deal, im a leader, i have earned my spot to where i'm at. i'm not the most popular person because of this, but not every leader is popular, the rest, well, those who were all high and mighty in the days of school are now nearly thirty and extremely pathetic, and those today who believe they are leaders, well, how can anyone lead when their nose is so far up their bosses behind that it has a permanent brown streak on it; ▶ Reply to This