FOLLOW THE LEADER
FURTHER QUOTATIONS ON
PEOPLE-FOCUSED LEADERSHIP
- SHEPHERDS:
- ...Being a shepherd is exhausting. For one thing, the shepherd
leads the flocks out into lands filled with danger: predators,
hostile weather, starvation, and disease. For another, sheep
are just about the most inept followers imaginable. Besides
being plain stupid, they are easily panicked and annoyed and
debilitated. Unable to defend themselves against wolves, they
also need protecting from themselves; sheep are notorious for
wandering off good pastures or away from sources of water,
for destroying what good grass is available, and for placing
themselves in one irretrievable situation after another...^8
- ...The shepherd lives among the sheep. He identifies with them
in his heart and takes note of them on his weekly planner. The
shepherd shares the hardships the sheep must face, the risks and
the dangers as well. Indeed, the shepherd stands among the
sheep both figuratively and literally, leading through personal
presence and intimate acquaintance...^9
- ...The shepherd is the servant of the sheep; it is their growth
and nurture that define his task and set the agenda for his
success...^10
- ...the shepherd-executive...lays it down for the sheep. She
spends herself for their sake. He can be trusted and believed in
because he sacrifices himself for their sake...^11
- RELATIONSHIPS:
- Nurture self-accountability and self-government. It’s
important to realize that we are not ultimately responsible for
the development of anyone else. We can never really change
someone; people must change themselves. But we can help. We
can be a resource. We can nurture, encourage, and support. We
can be a leader/servant.^12
