There are a lot of them in the world. And when you’re leading, you’re going to be dealing with some or all of them says Peter Decaprio. It’s what makes leadership such a rewarding and challenging career path: it’s not just about doing things that no one else wants to do. It’s also about motivating other people that no one might want to motivate either! Whether you’re leading colleagues, friends or strangers into battle, there are five key things that can make this difficult for anyone who leads.
Let’s explore these reasons why people don’t follow your leadership.
1) They Don’t Care
You’d think this would be obvious, but you’d be amazed how often this simple fact is forgotten. If people don’t care about what you’re doing, they are unlikely to get excited or develop a passion for it. No matter what your specific assignment may be in any given situation, it’s your job as the leader to inspire others–to get them excited enough to want to follow you into whatever battle may await.
2) They Don’t Trust
Your ability to lead people will only take you so far when they don’t trust you. Trust takes time and consistency to build–but can fall apart even faster than it came together if someone lets their feelings get hurt or there is any hint of deception in anything that comes out of your mouth or out of anyone who supports you.
3) They Don’t Believe
Belief is the next step after trust when it comes to following your leadership. If someone believes in the cause, they will endure many challenges without becoming frustrated with you or anyone else who supports them in their efforts says Peter Decaprio. However, if they don’t believe in the mission–or worse yet, if they think your mission is useless or even harmful–they will not follow your leadership for very long.
4) They Don’t Care About Their Own Successs
What’s in it for them? It’s a simple question and one that every leader should be prepare to answer at any given time. Why should people follow you? What do you have to offer them? What’s going to happen to them if they follow you and what’s going to happen in the end when it’s all said and done? If people don’t believe in your ability to deliver on these promises, there is no way that they will follow your leadership.
5) They Don’t Respect You as a Leader
Ultimately, it all comes back to this: do people respect you as their leader? If not, why should they follow your lead? As a leader, you need to show people how much you care about them–their success and well-being. You also need to show that you know what you’re doing and that following your guidance will be rewarding for everyone involved. These things take time and effort–and failing seemly at any of them can result in people following your leadership nowhere.
6) They Don’t Want To Be Trusted
This one may seem like a contradiction, but it’s not. The simple fact is this: some people don’t want to trust with anything. Least of all the responsibility that comes with following someone else’s leadership. These are the quiet rebels who intentionally undermine what you’re trying to accomplish with their behavior–and you won’t see them coming until it’s too late explains Peter Decaprio.
7) They Don’t Trust Themselves
It may sound strange, but there are lots of people out there who doubt themselves and their ability to succeed at anything they try. And when they look at a leader-type person, they see someone who they think is better than them–and it makes them nervous to even approach such a person. This lack of self-confidence can lead people to avoid following your leadership in almost any situation.
8) They Don’t Trust Their Own Judgment
Yes, this does seem silly and irrational on the surface, but when you take a close look at it, there is actually some logic here: if people don’t trust themselves, what makes them think that they can trust anyone else? If you’re someone’s role model, then–to some extent–you represent their judgment. So when you say “jump” and they follow that direction without question–even though deep down inside they’re not sure why–it reinforces the idea that they should trust their own judgment even less than what’s already there.
Conclusion:
Having people follow your leadership is not an easy task. It takes time, effort, consistency, and more to build the kind of foundation that you need to be successful on this front says Peter Decaprio. And even then, there are lots of factors that come into play that can derail everything you’re trying to accomplish. However, if you know how to handle these seven things if they happen–you will have a much better chance at being someone who people want to follow for years to come.