Followership: The Cinderella of Leadership

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Introduction

In the management literature of today, there are numerous writings about leadership and courses on becoming a better manager or leader. The quality of leadership makes a big difference in organizations or society, and we all know it. Still, very little focus is put on the quality of followership, as if people are generally natural followers.

What truly makes a great leader successful? It's how they create and share a vision, how they communicate it, how they create unity of action, and motivate others to offer support and follow. But unseen, there is much more. It’s also about how they allow themselves to follow: when, whom, and how to follow for the greater good while retaining their authority and credibility and gaining even more trust from both their followers and leaders.

There is no leadership without followership. But that does not imply that a leader will always lead and people will follow. Every valuable leader knows that in a dynamic business landscape, situations are fluid, and often decision-making is a combined act of leadership and followership.

While in the collective imagination, the spotlight often shines on the heroic and charismatic leader who is always being followed, it's the dynamic interplay between acting as a leader and as a follower that will make you even more effective in your management role.

Thus, a key component of leadership is knowing when, whom, and how to follow, not just making others follow you. This article explores the often-overlooked trait of followership, highlighting its significance and offering insights on how understanding and leveraging this concept can transform leadership effectiveness, facilitate seamless transitions, and sustain energy and productivity in any team.

Understanding followership ... 

begins with recognizing it as an active and engaged process. Followers are not just passive recipients of directives but play an essential role in supporting leaders and achieving organizational goals. They contribute by providing feedback, implementing strategies, and participating in decision-making.

Effective followers possess key traits like accountability, initiative, and supportiveness. They take responsibility for their tasks and look for ways to enhance team performance. This proactive approach aligns with the principles outlined in  Leading with a Growth Mindset, where continuous adaptability to situations and learning from them are crucial.

Leaders themselves must also know when to step into the role of a follower. In organizations, managers have other senior managers board members or shareholders to whom they remain accountable, an aspect that is often overlooked, unknown or misunderstood at the execution level. 

By acknowledging the expertise and insights of others, leaders demonstrate healthy humbleness and flexibility, enhancing their credibility and authority. This dynamic interplay between leading and following sustains collaboration with various benefits for innovation and high performance.

How does this look in practice? For example, it can be as simple as that: the R&D Director might choose to review his initial vision for launching and producing a new product after the Finance & Accounting Director's preliminary estimates show a negative impact on the company's financial position. By not dismissing the input of Finance & Accounting as irrelevant for not understanding engineering, the R&D Director fosters a collaborative environment.

Many leaders struggle with stepping into followership postures due to a lack of confidence, often rooted in their thinking saboteurs. These internal critics create self-doubt, making leaders insecure about following others, and leaving them with the belief they need to behave showing they are in charge at all times. To overcome this, managers should be able to manage their thinking saboteurs and understand how these negative thought patterns hinder their ability to lead effectively. 

Developing strong followership within a management team involves managers actively engaging as followers of other ideas or initiatives. This includes encouraging open communication, providing constructive feedback, and recognizing each member's contributions, whether they are team members, peers, or higher managers. This inclusive approach builds a culture of trust and respect, which penetrates deep into the organization.

Leaders who excel as followers exhibit several key traits, 

including but not limited to confidence, accountability, initiative, and supportiveness. I know it sounds pretty standard, but imagine these traits are used also in followership. 

As a middle manager, it takes confidence, an open mind, and supportiveness to follow strategies you may not believe in but are already decided by senior management. You need a cool head to stay focused on the ultimate benefit, communicate effectively to build momentum and motivation in your team, and avoid passing on your own disappointment or frustration. Accountability for the results your team delivers, even when you initially disagree with some aspects, is essential. Recognizing your tendencies to judge and resisting the temptation to do so, or feeling victimized by higher management's decisions, is crucial. Staying alert to your initiatives, even if your fears materialize, and bringing issues to senior management as facts rather than with an "I told you so" attitude helps find the right solutions. I know this is challenging, especially with low inner resilience. Working with a coach outside your organization can be beneficial as it helps leaders avoid negative approaches that drain their energy.

For instance, in Creating Motivation Beyond the Paycheck the article discusses how intrinsic motivation, rather than monetary incentives, can significantly boost team morale and success. Consider a manager who recognizes a team member’s innovative idea and chooses to support and develop it rather than insisting on their own approach. This both motivates the team members and helps foster a culture of trust and mutual respect.

Another example involves a VP of Operations at a services-based company. He knows senior management will make tough decisions to reduce capacity due to the introduction of AI-based tools, rendering a significant number of qualified jobs redundant. Aware of the negative impact on morale, he understands the necessity of these decisions and chooses to support the company's restructuring to stay competitive. He communicates openly with both affected and remaining employees, modelling a respectful and empathetic approach. By doing so, he limits the stress and worry passed down to the organization, retaining trust even among those who are leaving the company.

Strong followership and leadership complement each other, 

creating a harmonious unity that enhances overall effectiveness. When leaders recognize the value of their followers' contributions or the contributions and initiatives of other leaders, they foster a culture of mutual respect and collaboration. Understanding this interplay and what it takes into practice is very important for managers since it helps them become faster performant and drive success within their organization.

In the article Innovate or ... Learn to Innovate it is emphasized the role of team members in nurturing an innovative culture. Consider a scenario where a leader encourages team members to present their ideas for process improvement. By valuing and implementing these suggestions, the leader chooses to follow the solution proposed by a team member - an act of followership that establishes trust and ownership

This synergy is further demonstrated when followers take the initiative to propose creative solutions and leaders actively listen and support these initiatives. For example, a team faced with a declining product line might brainstorm and suggest a new marketing strategy. The leader, recognizing the potential, supports the development and execution of this strategy, leading to revitalized sales and team morale.

By valuing followership, leaders not only enhance their own effectiveness but also create an environment where innovation thrives. This collaborative approach ensures that both leaders and followers contribute to and share in the success of their organization, making the dynamic interplay between leadership and followership a powerful force for progress.

Cultivating Followership in Organizations

Leaders can cultivate strong followership within their teams by visibly modelling followership when it serves the greater good. This involves demonstrating humility, openness, and the willingness to support others' initiatives.

For instance, a senior leader might recognize a middle manager's expertise in a particular area, and choose to follow their lead on a well-documented proposal for a strategic initiative even at the beginning she was inclined to a different approach. By doing so, the senior leader shows openness, flexibility and trust, while the middle manager feels encouraged, and valued, knowing their contribution is respected and impactful.

Additionally, leaders can cultivate followership by creating an environment that encourages open communication. Regular one-on-one meetings, team discussions, and feedback sessions help ensure everyone feels heard and appreciated. These discussions are perfect opportunities for followers to show initiative and for leaders to show followership. Do not forget: a leader acting visibly as if they integrated the feedback, is a strong sign of followership at work.

Probably the best way to learn followership is by having someone model it for you. Having an in-house mentor showing you the dance of leadership and followership is probably one of the most valuable personal development opportunities. When the organization does not provide you with such a formal opportunity, it is on you to look around and become aware of how other leaders, formal or informal, in management or not, peer managers or senior to you, demonstrate followership.  Pick your models wisely and start to emulate the traits you admire in them. Be sure followership is one of them.

Alternatively, having a coach as a thinking partner helps managers tone down their egos and become mindful of unseen potential conflicts of interest or intentions they might unknowingly carry within themselves, that hinder their ability to learn followership. Retain that followership means collaboration.

By setting a strong example of followership, leaders can inspire their teams to embrace these principles, leading to a more dynamic, innovative, and productive organizational culture. 

Conclusion

Followership is often forgotten or overlooked, making it the Cinderella of leadership. When quality followership is absent, organizations face challenges such as poor communication, lack of innovation, and weakened team cohesion. This neglect can lead to disengaged employees, reduced productivity, and ineffective leadership.

However, being a good follower is a part of your leadership toolkit. It involves understanding when to step back, valuing others' contributions, and fostering a collaborative environment. Effective leaders know how to follow, demonstrating humility and adaptability. This balance between leading and following enhances team dynamics, drives innovation, and contributes to overall organizational success. Embracing followership transforms it from an overlooked role into a powerful aspect of effective leadership.

Before closure, I leave you with the following self-reflection questions:

• How often do you seek and value the input of your team members, and what might be holding you back from fully embracing their contributions?

•  Can you identify specific instances where you chose to follow the lead of a colleague or team member? What was the outcome and what did you learn from the experience?

•  What internal or external factors make you hesitant to step into a followership role, and how do these factors impact your effectiveness as a leader?

•  How do you balance asserting your leadership with supporting others' ideas and initiatives, and what changes could you make to improve this balance?

•  In what ways do you actively demonstrate humility and openness to your team, and how might enhancing these behaviours strengthen your leadership through followership?

If you’re looking to enhance your leadership through followership and believe you could benefit from an outside perspective, I’m here to help. I can support you in developing a deeper understanding of followership, showing how it can strengthen your leadership and team dynamics. By recognizing the value of followership, you’ll be better equipped to create a culture of collaboration and mutual respect, leading to greater overall success.

Reply to this email and share with me your aspiration of becoming a better leader through collaboration. I will follow up shortly to meet you for a discovery call (free) so you to understand the power of coaching and what can be your shift towards being a better leader and manager.

Until next time, keep thriving!

Alina Florea

Your Management Performance Coach 

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Summary:

In today's management literature, there's plenty on leadership, but followership often gets overlooked. Yet, successful leadership hinges on knowing when and whom to follow, not just leading. Great leaders foster a collaborative environment by valuing their team's input and recognizing the fluid nature of leadership roles. This article emphasizes that strong followership is crucial for innovation, team cohesion, and overall organizational success.

Effective followership means being accountable, taking initiative, and supporting others. Leaders must also model followership, showing humility and adaptability. This dynamic interaction between leading and following enhances team dynamics and drives progress. Embracing followership transforms it from an overlooked role into a powerful aspect of leadership, creating a more innovative and productive organizational culture.