Essentials of followership-lessons from the hunter's dog

I read a statement somewhere, which said: “He, who should lead amongst you, should first be the chief servant."

How can someone who has never served in any capacity or at any level understand what it means to be a servant leader?

Who is a follower? A follower is someone who ardently pursues the principle or vision of a given society or organisation with an intention.

The following are some attributes of an ardent follower.

1. He shows appreciation to his leaders without expecting anything in return: In today’s world of quick gratification, this might sound strange because naturally, man is selfish. If you disagree, I want to ask you a question, if your kid and a stranger are trapped in a burning house, who will you rescue first?

Lesson: A follower is selfless as the hunter's dog is, to his master.

2. LOYALTY: As a follower, your loyalty is to your leader. In an organisation for instance, It is your duty to find out the vision and mission of the organisation and what is expected of you, then you gear up to fit into the big picture and add value to the organisation.

Loyalty also has to do with making positive impact. Sadly, today, you hardly find loyal staff. People work for pay and not with passion. If you are passionate about the organisation where you work, you will stay and give your best even when you are not being paid. Let’s do a loyalty test.

If your employer stops paying you today or cuts your salary by 50% due to economic hardship, will you still put in the same amount of work, like when you were paid? If your answer is yes, well done. If not, fuel your passion.

Lesson: The hunter's dog is loyal to his master, even if it is beaten and denied food.

3. OBEDIENCE: Obedience is a matter of choice. It is the conscious conditioning of the human mind and spirit to conform to the laid down rules and regulations of a given society or organisation. Obedience can be based on incentives.

Lesson: The hunter's dog is obedient to his master's call even without incentives.

4. HE IS TRUSTWORTHY: As a follower or an employee, can your boss trust you to do your job when he is not around? Does he trust you to fly the flag of the organisation high anywhere you go? Or does he need to issue threats of sack or offer you incentives before you perform?

Trust is a basic factor of life. Trust is earned. You have to prove yourself worthy to be trusted. Can the society or the organisation trust you with its finances?

Lesson: The hunter's dog is trustworthy. That is why its master entrusts it with the safety of his household and even allows it by his side always.

5. HE IS A DEFENDER: An ardent follower is always ready to defend the integrity of his nation, organisation or employer anywhere he goes. Do not be the one to tear down the fabrics of your organisation or nation with your words or actions.

Be ready to defend the integrity of your country especially, when it will cost you something. Be a symbol of what your country or organisation stands for.

Lesson: The hunter's dog defends his master with his life, if the need arises.

6. RELATIONSHIP BUILDER: Effective communication is a requirement for fostering cordial relationships in every sphere of life. Respect begets respect, criticism begets resentment.

Respectfully air your views and constructively communicate your disagreement. Disagreements, if properly handled will not degenerate to arguments.

Always smile when presenting your points. A smiling face calms a boiling heart. When you smile, you send a signal of peace to your body system and to those listening to you. Also, watch your body language, it can send the wrong signals.

Lesson: The hunter's dog is a friend to every member of the hunter's family.