Re-reading leadership

It's important to realize that...not everyone is called to be a leader. After all, for leaders to succeed, there must be followers. Most of us need to be good, dedicated followers in our earthly pursuits. And all of us, naturally, need to be followers of the Lord Jesus. In God's sight, leaders are not more highly valued than followers. He loves us all.

A quote from Bob Briner's 'The Leadership Lessons of Jesus'. There is tremendous value in re-reading a book. First time I read this I only saw negatives. My view was that the authors missed the point that everyone is called to lead in some way, and should earnestly desire to lead. 

The reason is that we are all leaders in one way or another. Some are managers at work, others are teachers of students or even a school prefect. Some are leaders at home. Think of a mum on her own leading your children in the way they should grow. Others are simply role model to their friends! 

If it is true that we are all readers in some capacity then, we should all desire not only to lead but be more effective at it for the glory of God. Indeed, desiring to be a follower in the home when you are a father is a sin. It runs counter to the biblical injunction. 

But here is where re-reading helps. A few paragraphs down the line, the authors make an important point which when read in conjunction with my thoughts above take on huge significance : 

Tragedies occur when we fail to take on leadership responsibilities that we are clearly called to fulfill, or when we pursue or demand leadership responsibilities without objectively and prayerfully examining our ability to lead. When either of these occur, people are hurt, resources are wasted, and good opportunities for growth are retarded.