Full Answer Section

My position is that engaged and effective followers are the engine that drives organizational performance. Without a significant body of individuals who are committed, competent, and willing to contribute actively, even the most visionary leader will struggle to achieve their goals. Here’s why:

• Execution of Vision: Leaders may set the direction, but it is the followers who translate that vision into tangible actions and results. Their diligence, skill, and commitment in carrying out tasks are crucial for implementation.
• Organizational Culture: Followers significantly contribute to the overall culture of an organization. Their attitudes, behaviors, and interactions shape the norms, values, and atmosphere within the workplace. Engaged followers tend to foster a more positive, collaborative, and productive environment.
• Innovation and Problem-Solving: Effective followers are not simply order-takers. They bring their unique perspectives, skills, and experiences to the table, contributing to innovation and problem-solving at all levels of the organization. Their critical thinking can identify potential issues and suggest improvements that leaders might overlook.
• Accountability and Feedback: Followers play a vital role in holding both themselves and their leaders accountable. By providing constructive feedback and challenging assumptions when necessary, they contribute to better decision-making and organizational learning.
• Organizational Stability and Resilience: A strong base of committed followers can provide stability during times of change or crisis. Their willingness to adapt and persevere can be crucial for an organization’s resilience.

Conversely, disengaged, passive, or alienated followers can significantly hinder an organization’s progress. They may lack motivation, resist change, fail to identify problems, and ultimately detract from overall productivity and morale.

The Connection Between Followers and Leaders

The relationship between followers and leaders is interdependent and dynamic. It’s not a one-way street where leaders simply dictate and followers blindly obey. Instead, it’s a reciprocal relationship built on mutual influence, trust, and shared goals.

• Leaders provide direction, vision, and resources: They set the strategic course and empower followers to achieve objectives.
• Followers provide support, commitment, and execution: They bring the leader’s vision to life through their actions and contributions.
• Effective leaders understand and value their followers: They recognize their followers’ strengths, provide opportunities for growth, and foster a sense of belonging and purpose.
• Effective followers understand the leader’s vision and goals: They align their efforts with these objectives and proactively seek ways to contribute.
• Communication is key: Open and honest communication flows in both directions. Leaders provide clarity and context, while followers offer feedback, raise concerns, and share insights.
• Trust is the foundation: A strong leader-follower relationship is built on mutual trust and respect. Leaders trust their followers to execute tasks effectively, and followers trust their leaders to act in the best interests of the team and organization.

Essentially, leadership and followership are two sides of the same coin. One cannot exist effectively without the other. A leader without followers has no one to lead, and an organization full of individuals unwilling to follow a common direction will lack cohesion and purpose.

Can Followers Also Be Leaders?

Absolutely, followers can and often are also leaders. Leadership is not solely defined by a formal title or position within an organizational hierarchy. Individuals can demonstrate leadership qualities and influence others regardless of their formal role. In many cases, effective followership is a training ground for future leadership.

Here are some examples:

• Team Leaders without Formal Titles: In project teams, an individual without a designated “leader” title might emerge as the go-to person for organizing tasks, motivating colleagues, and ensuring deadlines are met. They demonstrate leadership through their initiative and ability to influence their peers.
• Subject Matter Experts: An employee who is highly skilled and knowledgeable in a specific area can become an informal leader by guiding and mentoring colleagues, even if they don’t hold a management position. Their expertise commands respect and influences the team’s approach.
• Union Representatives: Individuals who step up to represent their colleagues within a union demonstrate leadership by advocating for their rights and interests, even though their primary role within the company might be that of a “follower.”
• Mentors and Coaches: Employees who voluntarily take on the role of mentoring or coaching junior colleagues exhibit leadership by guiding their development and sharing their expertise.
• Change Agents: Individuals who proactively identify areas for improvement and champion new initiatives, even without formal authority, are demonstrating leadership from a follower position.
• Nurses on a Hospital Floor: While reporting to a nurse manager, experienced nurses often take the lead in specific situations, mentor junior staff, and advocate fiercely for their patients, demonstrating leadership within their follower role.

These examples illustrate that leadership is often situational and behavioral. Individuals can be followers in one context (e.g., reporting to a manager) and leaders in another (e.g., leading a project task force or mentoring a new team member). The skills and qualities of effective followership, such as critical thinking, communication, and commitment, are also essential for effective leadership. In essence, today’s exemplary follower can be tomorrow’s impactful leader.

Bold Question for Peer Discussion: In your experience, what is one specific behavior you’ve observed in a follower that significantly contributed to the success (or failure) of a team or project, regardless of the leader’s actions?