5 Reasons You're Not Leading
John Maxwell once said, “He who thinks he leads but has no one following is only taking a walk.”
That line has become leadership folklore — simple, but surgical. Because at some point, every leader has to face the question:
If no one’s following, am I really leading?
The ability to attract and sustain followers is the litmus test of leadership. Titles don’t pass the test. Charisma doesn’t pass the test. Followers do.
So, why don’t people follow?
Here are five reasons — some hard truths and some hopeful reminders.
1. Lack of Clarity
People don’t follow confusion. When the vision is fuzzy, the mission gets messy.
If your team doesn’t know where you’re going or why it matters, they won’t follow for long — even if they like you.
Clarity makes you a more followable leader.
2. Lack of Credibility
Followers trust who you are before they trust where you’re going. Character is the currency of leadership. Without it, influence bankrupts quickly. Credibility comes from consistency — doing what you said you’d do, in the timeframe in which you said you’d do it. If your walk and your words don’t align, people will hesitate to take another step with you.
The greatest indicator of what you’re going to do is what you’ve already done. This is why I never hesitate to follow proven leaders.
3. Lack of Care
People don’t follow leaders who don’t care about them. They might comply for a season, but they won’t commit for the long haul.
Before people will trust your vision, they’ll test your compassion, and you prove that compassion and care when you choose to BE WITH your people. Emails communicate very little, but in-person time over coffee and meals goes a long way. Is it efficient? Probably not. Is it effective? No doubt. Whether you're an introvert or an extrovert doesn’t matter. If you want to be a leader, understand this: you are in the people business.
Ask yourself, does my calendar prove that I care about those I’m attempting to lead?
Roosevelt said it best: “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” –Theodore Roosevelt
4. Lack of Competence
Good hearts can’t overcome poor execution. At some point, people need to see that you know what you’re doing. Competence earns confidence.
If a leader consistently misses deadlines, avoids hard decisions, or refuses to grow, followers lose faith in the leader — even if they still believe in the vision.
Leaders have to become ruthlessly honest with themselves about where they are in their leadership competency.
Ask: Am I “sharpening the saw” of my leadership competencies? Am I taking personal responsibility for getting the coaching and mentoring I need at a skill level AND soul level?
5. Lack of Calling (Giftedness)
Here’s the one few people want to talk about: not everyone is called — or gifted — to lead. Leadership isn’t just a skill to be learned; it’s a spiritual gift that is received.
You can and MUST sharpen leadership skills, but you can’t manufacture leadership giftedness. Some people are wired to be 1st-chair leaders — vision carriers and culture shapers. Others are gifted 2nd-chair supporters — implementers, stabilizers, and amplifiers of the mission. Both are mission-critical, but when a 2nd-chair leader is placed in a 1st-chair assignment, get ready for frustration and discouragement for everyone involved.
The problem comes when we believe the myth:
“You can be anything you want.”
Reality check — no, you can’t. You can only become who God made you to be. And when you lead outside your gifting, you burn yourself out and wear out others in your leadership orbit.
The Bottom Line
If you’re wondering whether you’re leading, check the trail behind you. Is anyone coming with you? Are they moving with energy, unity, and ownership — or just obligation?
So today, take the test.
Are you leading — or just taking a walk?