"A good leader should not guide his/her followers, but should inspire them". Do you agree?

Use this forum to discuss the May 2021 Book of the month, "Fear Not, Dream Big, & Execute: Tools To Spark Your Dream And Ignite Your Follow-Through" by Jeff Meyer.
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Asma Aisha Ansari
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Re: "A good leader should not guide his/her followers, but should inspire them". Do you agree?

Post by Asma Aisha Ansari »

I think what the author really means by leadership is that a leader shouldn't be someone who thinks of himself as the only qualified and competent person in the room. A leader is someone who may not be as talented or intelligent as most of his followers but should possess the ability to graciously show people their strengths or weaknesses. This way he need not be a domineering figure who needs a cult following to get things done.
Imagination is a good servant, and a bad master. - Agatha Christie
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Post by Kiran Kanwar »

I think that if a leader guides his/her followers well, then automatically they will be inspired by him. Guiding is very important. According to me, the most important task of a leader is to show his/her followers the right path and guide them until their goal is achieved. When the follower acts upon the leader's guidance and ultimately reached the desired goal, it is natural that he/she will be inspired by his/her leader.
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Post by Namitha Iyer »

I wholeheartedly agree with the author's statement. A good leader serves as an inspiration and imparts compassion, empathy, passion, purpose, and meaning to others. Simply guiding one's followers makes it easy for everyone to achieve their goals with no hard work or sense of rigor. But inspiration goes far beyond one's immediate goals and can become a lifelong quality that keeps a person going in the right direction.
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Post by Mimi Kenneth »

A good leader should inspire his followers however, one of the qualities of a good leader is good guidance so I think that while he inspires his followers he should also guide them well on the path they've chosen.
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Post by review-specialist »

I would say I disagree that ' A good leader should not guide his/her followers but should inspire them' because I think they go hand in hand. Really can't have one without the other. Good leaders guide and with guidance comes moments of inspiration and inspiration brings about growth.
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Post by Ldpuff »

I think we all want a leader to give us the answer. That is the easy way out of our problems, but do we find growth there? Most likely not. We find growth when we are forced out of our comfort zones and into the unknown to break new ground. It's like a bad habit. Everyone else can tell you to quit, but until the decision is of your own accord, it is unlikely that you will stop. Any decision that is not from your heart/doesn't sit with your soul will be temporary. A true leader will inspire and encourage you to find your own way in life, but they will lead by example.
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Post by DTamara »

The fact is that you cannot make a person understand something they are not ready to undesratand. From my experience, the most profound understanding comes from within through self-discovery. In this sense, I agree with the author, and I interpret his words as : "A good leader is one that guides people in the process of their sel-discovery, inspires them to go on that journey, like Jesus did, by asking many questions, and opening debates, instead of drumming an endless string of sermons into them." Correct me if I am wrong. So a good leader does guide to a certain degree in my opinion, and it is crucial how they do it.
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Post by AbhyarnaAman »

S P wrote: 01 May 2021, 04:43 I think it's definitely fair to say that leaders should inspire their followers. However, even Jesus himself offered guidance to his followers through the words of his parables. I think that good leaders need aspects of both in order to be successful.
I have similar opinion as yours. Although, guiding in many cases can be looked as managerial task not a leadership one. that does not mean leaders never need to guide their followers. so, you said rightly- 'good leaders need aspects of both in order to be successful'.
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Post by NISSE »

Sushan wrote: 01 May 2021, 00:10 "Even looking at our expert leader, Jesus, whose Word is life, we can see this lesson lived out. Jesus is not merely an itinerant preacher who directs our steps. He is a soul-stirrer who invites us to walk with Him. If our master, Jesus, leads us by walking with us and stirring us to discover, then these earthly leaders must learn to come alongside and help others discover their own best answers."
(Chapter 2, Page 9)

Most often we compare how a boss will treat his subordinates and how a leader will treat his followers. Upto now I had the idea that a leader should guide his/her followers. But this author has given leadership a new meaning claiming that it is not the leader's job to show the path and guide his/her followers towards a specific goal, but to inspire them to find their own answers and be their own guidance.

Do you agree with this 'job description' of a leader? If a leader is guiding his/her followers, will it make he/she a 'not so good' leader?
There are two sides to this argument. When you consider the spiritual angle, this may be correct as the leader should inspire the followers. However, If you consider this from a business angle it is a bit different. If you consider the employees in a certain organization or a department some has the skills to understand the leader's intention. However, we are living in a world where each of the employees has a different skill level. We come across employees with average skill levels and less motivated to do things. So, as a leader, you should guide them until you achieve your goals at the same time upskilling these type of employees. Therefore, I feel that you have to have a flexible leadership style to understand your employees and then act upon depending on their skill levels and attitudes towards work.
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Post by Nathaniel Owolabi »

I totally agree. As much as a leader can, he should inspire his followers. Human beings need inspiration and motivation to keep going; who better to inspire them than the one who leads them.
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Post by Jessi_reads »

Absolutely agreed. I think a good leader gives the journey but not choose the tools for walking the journey. A good mentor should encourage and motivate his students so the students learn how they can best go along the way and find the best practice for them. If the leader does not inspire the student, they will soon lose interest and stop learning new skills for the journey.
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Post by pegasus-7 »

I completely agree with the fact that a leader should inspire his followers. Just by guiding someone doesn't mean he will succeed or stay on the path, but by inspiring him, you will make him realise till the core of his heart the importance of staying true to his/her path.
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Post by Amy Luman »

I have a hard time with books like this. They seem to be telling me what to do and how to do it. I like to take the ideas given and use them as I please, not told how to go about it. I will acknowledge that I am an independent person and do not react well unless I am inspired.
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Post by Shy_soul »

I think inspiration goes a long way. Guidance can only do so much. Inspiration lasts longer, has a greater impact and is applicable to all aspects of life. Would you rather be guided or inspired on how to live your life? I would definitely go with the latter.
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Post by t_mann23 »

I think all leaders are different and what works for one might not work for another. But generally, inspiring others rather than guiding them seems like the way to go. If all a leader does is tell their followers what to do, they won't learn anything, and if the leader leaves, the followers will be lost. A leader should be able to inspire followers to come up with their own ideas and achievements so that they can move on.
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