LEADERS THAT PEOPLE FOLLOW
John S. Johnson

Leaders don’t just have a position, a spiritual gift or the authority to make rules. True leaders are able to influence others and persuade them to follow.

People follow leaders

1. who direct them through a dream to desirable objectives. A vision is a leader’s most important possession.

2. who provide them with meaningful rewards and reasons to work. Things that get rewarded get done.

3. whose personalities and plans are credible and inspire confidence that the objectives will be achieved. Good leaders build up their followers to believe they can accomplish any dream. The leader who believes in his followers has people who believe in him.

4. who effectively communicate their plans to reach a goal. Good leaders give clear directions. They make sure they have been understood and listen to their followers’ questions.

5. who give them responsibility, recognize their contributions, and hold them accountable for their work. Leaders must clarify the job requirements so their followers’ contributions will help meet the team’s goals. People don’t do what you expect, but will do what you inspect.

6. who give them compelling reasons and motivations to reach the objective. Persuade them with examples of past success, belief in what they can do, and a desire to work on a successful venture. People follow when you give them a reason to work.

7.  who give solutions to problems that hinder reaching the goals. Leaders know how to work together with others to overcome difficulties. In coming up with solutions, leaders listen to the ideas offered by those directly involved in the situation.

8. who make good decisions and are willing to explain the decisions and plans that have been made. Leaders identify, define and analyze problems, and define a course of action and follow it