Followership

We are all familiar with the saying that "everything rises and falls on leadership." I fully agree with this notion: The quality of leadership; the integrity of a leader; the pro-activity, or passivity. -In short, the type and level of leadership, is in direct correlation to the effectiveness, innovation and growth path of  any organization.

Leadership is very important. In many ways we underestimate the impact of bad leadership, or the lack of leadership in the world. There is a growing need in an ever increasing scope of society for "better" leaders.

BUT: I think that we as leaders sometimes overestimate our importance as leaders, as being the primary indicator of organizational effectiveness and success.We tend to forget, or at least underestimate the importance of followers and what I like to call followership.

Without followers there will be no real leaders. Central to the understanding of the concept of leadership, is the fact that the leader leads somebody, or something. Without followers the person who thinks that he/ she is leading, is in fact only taking a stroll -and that could become a lonely solitary walk!

Followers are those people who support the leader.  They believe in what he/she does, or endeavours to do. They are adherents and attendants, fans and some would say disciples of the leader.

I believe that there is a growing need for followers in the world: People who are really willing to follow the vision, passion and direction of someone else. People who will give their undivided support and loyalty to someone other than their own being. People who are willing to push aside their own agenda and ambitions for that of somebody else.  -In a time of ultimate self-centredness, that is a scarce commodity!

The best leaders come from amongst the group of people who knows and understands what it means to be a follower. Leaders should intentionally place themselves in situations where they are required to be followers. -Only by experiencing and understanding followership, can you grow in leadership.

Would you be willing to follow the leader that you are? -Why should anybody else follow you?