Leadership and, uh, Followership

[livingdeb]

Today I went to a meeting where the guest speaker talked about leadership, a popular topic. You should think outside the box. You should take initiative. You should be willing to break the law to do the right thing (oh, that's a new one).

And I realized that I am always getting messages about how to be a good leader. But I don't want to be a leader. (Except when I'm surrounded by idiots or ignoramuses, then I will definitely take the reins.)

What I never hear is advice about how to be a good follower. Unless the advice is that even if you don't have a leadership role, you should still develop leadership skills, and then you will naturally be recognized as a leader and become a leader.

Can you imagine a world full of nothing but leaders? I've seen this in social situations. It doesn't do any good to have a great idea for a group activity if no one has time to join you on it.

You can't have just leaders. While the leaders are off having visions, organizing, inspiring, communicating, putting out political fires, fighting for resources and what-not, someone has to be doing the day-to-day work that keeps things running. The leader decides which direction to run in, and then the followers make it happen.

Now it's true that a good leader inspires the followers to be good. But I've also been in many situations where the good followers covered for the bad leaders. Good followers can keep things running even under bad or absentee leaders.

What are some qualities of good followers?

They actually show up and take responsibility for their work. They do it accurately. In a timely manner. They prioritize. They get along well with others, inspiring their co-workers to want to do a good job (oops, that's being a leader). They take care of problems that they notice instead of bothering the boss with them, and they don't complain that it's not their job. They ask questions when they don't understand instead of making stuff up. They create more efficient methods. They share their knowledge and skills with others. They do things that other people hate to do which they don't mind doing. They're flexible (you have to be when you're stuck thinking inside the box). They're good at interpreting. They make things easier for everyone instead of more difficult. They make it so that the leaders don't have to worry about them and can spend their energy steering.

When I think of good followers, I remember the staff awards ceremonies I've attended where the kind of staff most likely to get an award is the stereotypical secretary who knows more about the company than the boss does. The people presenting the awards say things like "I couldn't do what I do without her," "When I want to know what's going on, I just ask him," and "She actually does all the work around here." At the time, I was appalled. The message I was getting is that I could get one of these awards if only I would do all my work and do all my supervisor's work and do it all excellently, all at the pay rate for my crappy job title. (Plus perhaps a $500 award! Or maybe just a framed certificate.)

I don't think so.

The supervisors were just trying to be funny. In a nervous sort of way. It was just plain creepy, really. But it did demonstrate that good following skills are a big asset. Even if they're not "in" right now.

Comments

[agirlnamedlucky.livejournal.com]

Interesting post. It's funny how everyone makes such a big fuss about developing leadership qualities, isn't it? :)