Good Followership and Stepping up the Family

Wow! I am finally done with George Barna's new book, The Seven Faith Tribes... What a read! There were things I liked about it and things I didn't. Honestly, the first half or so of the book was kind of a drag to my non-numbers oriented brain. I really don't get into facts/figures/statistics... So it's not that the first half of the book was not useful... just that I don't grasp a lot of information delivered in that manner. I also tend toward being rather a-political... And I'll be the first to admit, it is mostly out of ignorance and the overwhelming feeling of "what does it matter anyway???" that I don't get involved in political matters. However this book was able to speak to me some simple direct advice on how to positively affect change in my little corner of the world.

That said, I would recommend buying the book just for three chapters!

Chapter 10 is some of the best reading I've done in a long time. It's entitled "Empowering Values-Driven Leaders." I'm going to recap the twelve commitments of great followers for you and then throw in a couple quotes to give you a feel for this chapter.

The Twelve Commitments of Great Followers

1. Know what you're looking for in a leader

2. Live and die for the vision

3. Refuse to settle for anything but the best

4. Provide constructive feedback

5. Hold leaders to the highest reasonable standards-- and expect them to do the same with you

6. Always place community interest above self-interest

7. Be proud of your leaders

8. Become a great team player

9. Perform your duties with excellence

10. Add value all the time

11. Focus on the future

12. Keep growing personally

Barna gives lots of details regarding each of these points... practical doable advice.

Here are a few remarks re: being a good follower (where can I find a whole book on the subject???) that really spoke to me:

"It's inappropriate for you to hold a leader to a standard that you refuse to live by."

"How can you support them? Listen to their guidance, obey their exhortations, pray for their wisdom and strength, and hold them accountable to make the vision a reality."

"You cannot change the entire world in a single day, but you can change one person or one situation, or influence one leader, today."

"Remember, it's a partnership where you have given the leader the right to push you to a higher level, and you reserve the right to demand better guidance from the leader."

Chapter 12, Stepping Up the Family's Contribution was a great chapter as well, and has me wondering whether Barna's book called Revolutionary Parenting would be a good buy... He speaks a lot about the outsourcing of parenting that we have been doing as a nation, seemingly regardless of our tribal orientation. A couple quotes from that section that really hit me: "Children have received little to no education concerning what it means to be a competent follower." "Basic skills have been ill formed: children are adept at talking but not listening, complaining but not encouraging, demanding but not thanking, starting but not finishing." He gives advice to tribal leaders regarding their responsibility to support parents in the efforts of raising their children to be honorable citizens. He speaks to parents about being a "coach." I liked this quote from chapter 12: "In this process, parents must also pay attention to their own maturity and development. Great parents are always growing. It is a principle that enables them to have something of value to give to their children: a worthy example, useful knowledge, genuine faith, reliable advice, and more."

And finally Chapter 13, "Faith Tribes Must Pull Their Weight," or rather a small sub-section titled "A word to the christian-oriented tribes"... I'll not go into great detail here... You have to read it for yourself and this blogpost is getting quite lengthy! But I will leave you with just a few quotes from this section that really motivate me:

"To add value to our society-- and to honor God-- we need to see leadership as an act of service, not an exercise of power, and we must function with grace and humility rather than coerciveness and pride."

"We have been called to use every public gathering as a chance to respect, love, and serve people."

"...we are called to be so different from the world that others take notice of how we reflect, deliberate, and provide unusual wisdom. They should be struck by how respectful we are of alternative views and the compassion we consistently demonstrate to others."

"We have been granted the chance to show the world what true love looks like. We have the opportunity to be a force to be reckoned with by choosing not to be a force to be reckoned with."

"The revolution starts with you, doing what you are capable of doing, regardless of what others are doing. Leadership is not about being or doing what is popular. It is about doing what is right, simply because it is right."

In short, get the book! Even if you only read the last few chapters, it is well worth your time and money to look a little deeper into your role in revolutionizing the world, starting with your family and your faith community.