Great leaders are developed and made. Nobody is born a good leader. In order to become a great leader, you need to be a follower first.

Here’s an interesting fact that confuses managers. Sometimes employees resign a high-paying job because of the attitude of their supervisors or managers. Some supervisors and managers are busy enforcing their power instead of motivating and leading their teams to accomplish the groups’ goals. Instead of helping their teammates to grow and achieve the objectives, some leaders are act in a bossy manner to the point where they are unwilling to share and pass their knowledge and skills to others. If you have supervisors and managers like this in your company or group, you may notice a high turnover of employees.

Here are 3 reasons why a leader should be a follower first:

Enhanced consideration of the predicament of subordinates

A leader who came up through the ranks usually knows and understands the plight of his or her subordinates. You won’t only be able to empathize with your teammates, but you will also know the behaviors, and dare I say it, tricks, up their sleeves. You will know when to show compassion and when to be strict.

It is a known fact that employees or followers have tendencies to procrastinate, look for ways to make their jobs easier even if the quality isn’t good, and try to steal company resources, such as time and supplies. A leader who is familiar with the ins and outs of the company or group has a better advantage of managing his or her crew.

Leading By Example

Many employees look up to supervisors and managers who know how to lead by example. If you want your subordinates to follow the rules of the organization or the company, you should be the first to follow such edicts or orders. For instance, bosses who are always tardy and absent can’t expect their subordinates to willingly arrive on time. On the other hand, if bosses go to work early, employees will have no reason to arrive late regularly.

Getting Respect and Awe

Many people believe that respect is earned. Thus, if you are a leader or the chief executive of a company, employees won’t necessarily respect you if you don’t give them any reason to do so. In order to gain respect, you need to be a humble leader. You need to accept your mistakes and graciously hear other people’s suggestions.