Why the Best Leaders Are the Best Followers: Learning Humility in Leadership

Leadership is a funny thing. Everyone wants to talk about it, read about it, and grow in it — but few want to do the one thing that makes leadership…

Leadership is a funny thing. Everyone wants to talk about it, read about it, and grow in it — but few want to do the one thing that makes leadership actually work: follow.

We live in a world that celebrates charisma over character. The loudest voices, the biggest platforms, and the most magnetic personalities get the spotlight. But if you’ve been in ministry or leadership long enough, you’ve probably seen what I have — the people who rise the fastest are often the ones who fall the hardest.

Because while charisma can open doors, only character can keep them open.
And humility is what builds that character.

Jesus Was a Follower Before He Was a Leader

When you really look at the life of Jesus, you see something remarkable: every act of authority flowed out of submission.

“He made Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant.”
— Philippians 2:7

Before He led anyone, He followed His Father.

Ken Blanchard put it this way in Lead Like Jesus:

“The true test of leadership is how well you serve others when you are in charge.”

That’s the model Jesus gave us.
Leadership isn’t about power — it’s about posture. It’s about surrendering your will to God’s, trusting His direction, and leading others out of that same posture of humility.

Authority Flows from Submission

The greatest leaders I’ve known didn’t start by trying to lead; they started by faithfully following. They understood that spiritual authority isn’t taken — it’s given through obedience.

But that’s hard for most of us, isn’t it?
We don’t like the word “submission.” We associate it with weakness. But in God’s kingdom, submission is strength.

It takes humility to follow someone else’s lead. It takes maturity to serve a vision that isn’t your own. But that’s exactly what prepares us for leadership — because following develops the empathy, patience, and grace that leadership demands.

Charisma Fades — Character Endures

I’ve seen it countless times in church life. The charismatic leader shows up — gifted, magnetic, full of ideas and passion. People gravitate to them. They grow fast. But when their character doesn’t grow as fast as their platform, the crash is inevitable.

They’re like dying stars — bright for a moment, but burning out fast.

Then there are the quiet leaders. The steady ones.
They don’t chase attention. They care deeply, they listen well, and they lead with integrity. They might not gain followers quickly, but they gain trust — and that’s the kind of influence that lasts.

“Humility is the fear of the Lord; its wages are riches and honor and life.”
— Proverbs 22:4

Humility doesn’t hold you back — it sustains you.

Following Builds Empathy

When you’ve served under leadership — especially imperfect leadership — you gain something that can’t be taught in a book: perspective.

You start to understand how your tone, your words, and your decisions affect others. You realize what it feels like to be on the other side of leadership.

That kind of empathy changes how you lead.

It slows you down. It makes you more patient, more understanding. It reminds you that the people you lead aren’t just “team members” — they’re children of God with callings and stories of their own.

That’s what following does. It shapes your heart before it shapes your strategy.

Humility Keeps You Teachable

Ken Blanchard wrote,

“When you think you’ve arrived, you stop learning. When you stop learning, you stop leading.”

Pride is subtle. It doesn’t usually show up as arrogance. Sometimes it looks like independence — the idea that “I’ve got this.”

But that quiet self-sufficiency can be the beginning of isolation.

Humility, on the other hand, keeps you dependent — on God and on the people He’s placed around you. It keeps your heart teachable, your mind open, and your soul grounded.

That’s why humility isn’t just a virtue — it’s a guardrail. It protects you from the slow drift toward pride.

Practical Ways to Lead with Humility

Here are a few ways to keep humility at the center of leadership:

  1. Ask for feedback — from your team, not just your boss.
    Ask, “What’s one thing I could do better?” Then really listen.
  2. Serve beneath your title. Carry cables. Sweep floors. Do what no one sees.
  3. Publicly honor your leaders. Let others know whose shoulders you stand on.
  4. Admit when you’re wrong. Your credibility grows, not shrinks, when you do.
  5. Stay close to Jesus. Leadership without intimacy becomes idolatry.

A Final Word

The best leaders I’ve ever met aren’t chasing platforms — they’re walking closely behind Jesus.

They’re faithful followers.
They’re humble servants.
They’re leaders whose strength comes from surrender.

So if you’re in a season where you feel unseen or stuck “following,” don’t despise it. God’s using that season to shape the kind of leader who lasts.

Because in the end, the best leaders are — and always will be — the best followers.

💭 Reflection Questions

  1. Who are you currently following or learning from?
  2. Where might pride or independence be creeping into your leadership?
  3. What’s one way you can serve “beneath your title” this week?

🔗 Explore More Leadership Resources

👉 Book a Leadership Consultation
👉 Join 1:1 Coaching for Church Leaders
👉 Listen to The Backstage Leadership Podcast