In my leadership experience, there are two kinds of leaders.

There are those who are willing to lead leaders. And there are those who will only lead followers.

Some leaders refuse to be leaders of leaders. Sadly, I have witnessed many pastors who fall into "follower only" category. They refuse to allow leaders to develop in the church. Perhaps their fear of losing control or power, being upstaged or simply never learning the value of empowering others causes them to keep laypeople from becoming leaders within the church.

This is not to say we don't need to lead followers, because of course we do. Every leader has followers, or there would be no one to lead. Some of the best workers in an organization and certainly in the church are those who care nothing about leadership.

And I would say we don't simply need leaders in the church—we need servant leaders. People who serve others expecting nothing in return are the best kinds of leaders and follow the example of Jesus.

It is also true that it is hard to be a good leader until one learns to follow. At some point, however, those with the propensity towards leadership in any organization will want an opportunity to lead. This is especially true of younger generations.

And when those who were once in a position of being a follower begin to lead, the real leadership skills of the people in senior leadership are tested.

Here's the deal. Leaders of leaders allow other people to develop in the organization. They give people freedom to dream and give people a sense of ownership. They let them determine the "how" in their area of responsibility.

More so, they recognize and even hold as a value that as leaders develop the entire organization advances and everyone wins.

Leader of followers, on the other hand, try to keep followers from ever becoming leaders.

I'll be honest; it is much easier to lead only followers. People will do what is requested of them. They are loyal and not usually as critical. They don't challenge systems and traditions, processes and the way things have always been done.

As much as every organization (and church) needs loyal followers—if new leaders are not developed—if everyone remains a follower—not much will be done to take the organization to the next level. People will wait for existing leaders before they do anything new. And the organization (or the church) will be limited to the abilities of current leadership.

And for those who question my often business-like tendencies (even though I have a long business background, which I believe God uses in kingdom growth), we need only look to the example of Jesus; how He developed the disciples, sent them out and appointed them as leaders. Call them what you want—use another term other than leader, but they appear every bit a leader by any definition of leadership I use.

The other side to leading only followers—when people with the propensity and desire to lead are stifled from realizing their full potential as leaders—they will eventually either leave the organization or cause problems within the organization. I have especially seen this take place in the church. The organization as a whole suffers because they are limited to the level of success that can be realized by the intimidated top leader who refuses to let other leaders develop.

If an organization (or church) allows people a chance to lead the organization's potential for growth increases immensely.

At some point, every leader has to make a decision.

Ron Edmondson is the CEO of Leadership Network. Previously, he was a pastor, revitalizing two churches and planting two churches. He is passionate about planting churches, but also helping established churches thrive. He loves assisting pastors and those in ministry think through leadership, strategy and life. His specialty is organizational leadership.

For the original article, visit ronedmonson.com.

Get Spirit-filled content delivered right to your inbox! Click here to subscribe to our newsletter.

Dr. Steve Greene is now sharing stories, teachings, and conversations with guests who lead with love on Love Leads, a new podcast. Listen now.

Dr. Mark Rutland's

National Institute of Christian Leadership (NICL)

The NICL is one of the top leadership training programs in the U.S. taught by Dr. Mark Rutland. If you're the type of leader that likes to have total control over every aspect of your ministry and your future success, the NICL is right for you!

FREE NICL MINI-COURSE - Enroll for 3-hours of training from Dr. Rutland's full leadership course. Experience the NICL and decide if this training is right for you and your team.

The NICL Online is an option for any leader with time or schedule constraints. It's also for leaders who want to expedite their training to receive advanced standing for Master Level credit hours. Work through Dr. Rutland's full training from the comfort of your home or ministry at your pace. Learn more about NICL Online. Learn more about NICL Online.