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

[Durgeshwari Dolas]

Leadership is not just inspiring someone, a Motivational speaker can also do that. So what's the difference? Leader need to guide the followers, sometimes there are people who don't know which path to choose, some are afraid to walk on the path they have chosen, some are confused, in those times a leader not only need to inspire them but guide them, encourage them. A work of leader is way more important than we think.

[Parahiyo]

I agree with the author because a good leader should have the ability to mobilize and inspire others. A leader persuades, motivates, and encourages his followers. In the Bible, Jesus left a lasting impression on all His followers. He exercised servant leadership. He practically motivated and inspired people that they left all their possessions to spread God's word.

[maggi3]

I think inspiring people as a leader is important because it will foster more trust and excitement in whatever the person is being inspired to do. But I think being a leader requires guidance, too, whether that’s guiding someone to follow their own inspirations or teaching them how to do something beneficial. Also, there are times when leaders just have to take charge so that they can get things done. If a leader is only short term or leading for the sake of efficiency or practicality, I think guidance is probably more important than inspiration. The concept of what a leader is is so broad that I don’t think statements that “a leader should always be/do x” are accurate.

[Sakura5]

I think the two things in some way complement each other. Inspiring people is somehow guiding them, so I personally don't agree with the author on this one. Plus, the "job description" of the leader is in the name itself: to lead. If you want to appoint someone just to inspire, then the name should be changed from "leader" to "inspirer", and the role would be different!

[Precious Naiti]

I agree with this statement. The best lessons i have learnt in life were simply from observation. It is easier for someone to grasp a concept they have seen in action rather than in words. Inspiration is also better because it is a decision one makes. It is easier to follow through when someone tells themselves to.

[PreciousExo]

A good leader should be able to lead and inspire, they should be able to take care of the needs of the people they lead regardless of how different they are. Lead by example.

[Archaeoptery]

I would say yes that leaders should inspire others. I recently read a series of books where the is one of the ways that they look for in leaders. In away they want someone to give them hope that they will win or to have faith in the defenders to keep them save. These types of leaders will lead the way, there are other leaders but they are more to guiding and look to inspiring leader.

[Bridget Ball 1]

I agree because a good leader will make their followers to be able to stand on their own. Nothing is forever, so the best preparation you can give as a leader is to teach the follower to be able to continue on even when the leader is not present.

[Aniza Butt]

I partially agree. I think a leader should inspire his followers...i also think that it's not a bad thing to guide either.

[OB Brian]

"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?

I agree with the author. Leaders are people. They don't have all the answers. Therefore, to best help those they lead, they have to inspire these followers to actualize their dreams.

[Barbie_sidhu]

I think, inspiring is a form of guidance itself. There is a fine line between ordering and guiding. I agree with the fact that a good leader should guide when necessary. Good guidance leads to inspiration too. How a leader does it adds to the personality of the leader. So in order to inspire someone, guidance will come along.

[Eclecticmama]

I wholeheartedly agree. How many "leaders" have we read or heard about who have fallen from public grace because of something terrible they have done in their personal lives? I personally will never follow the advice of someone who I do not agree with based on their morals alone. And everyone's journey is personal. It will never be the same as someone else's.

[angelanikkicea]

Yes, I agree with the author's point. A good leader should inspire the people around him/ her. We all have different roles and passions to pursue. A leader would not really tell you the exact steps that you should follow in life, because we all have different ways of living our lives. Rather. a leader will inspire you to do better in the things that you need to do.

[Menace Crypto]

The author is write about the leader inspiring his/her followers, but I completely disagree with the aspect that says he/she should not guide them. I think the main work of a leader is to guide the followers.

[Keerthana S 2]

I think its definitely true that a good leader should always inspire his followers instead of guiding or judging their life As we see in the Bible The lord God always was an inspiration to his followers In the new testament he does not guide any follower of him he only does the miracles and the followers peoples by seeing these miracles came to that he is son of truly god and believed him