Without followers a leader serves no purpose. Without fellowship there is no team. Without the team nothing happens.
Leadership development is a well covered high profile topic. We are not talking about management here, just leadership. Anyone can manage, all they need do is learn how to run, monitor and adjust processes and systems – that’s management. Leadership includes personal development, thinking and people skills. That’s a very different but interdependent ball game!
Fellowship is embedded in teambuilding programs.
Followship however is ignored, whilst in the same breath we complain about the lack of employee engagement. Perhaps they are the same thing.
A leader attracts followers through fellowship, consistently:
- Sharing clarity of and modelling shared values.
- Sharing a compelling vision.
- Sharing a clear purpose.
- Developing functional relationships.
- Influencing, persuading and coaching others to willingly be their best at achieving the vision and delivering the purpose.
- Ensuring all the conditions that enable people to be engaged and motivated are present (see Herzberg’s Dual Theory).
There are many more nuances and competencies involved in being a leader such as negotiation, strategising, and most of all personal development and life-long learning.
By offering everyone in the organisation training in the basics of leadership – we achieve the following:
- Early identification and development of future leaders.
- Early identification of future followers.
- All participants learn what is required of leaders.
- All participants learn the value of followers.
The similar essential skills of leadership are required of followers, namely:
- Willingness and ability to truly listen and ask.
- Understanding of when and how to ‘tell’.
- Developing effective relationships.
- Personal development.
If a follower has a better understanding of the requirements of being a leader, would they not be better equipped to follow?
Leader and follower, two sides of the same coin – made of the same metal, serving the same purpose.
What do you think? What has been your experience in being a leader and a follower?
Looking forward to your comments.
