Followership

In today’s organizations, it is unlikely that a person can build their career around
being a follower only. This is because all must learn how to follow and lead in the modern
organization (Ford & Harding, 2018; Stern, 2021). In other words, leaders must also be
followers, and followers must also demonstrate some leadership. This way, regardless of the
role a person finds himself or herself in at any given time, they will still be able to contribute
meaningfully to the success of the organization. That said, there is value in learning to
become an effective follower. After all, followers contribute about 80% to the success of an
organization while leaders put in the remaining 20% (Antelo, Prilipko, & Sheridan-Pereira,
2010).
Fortunately, learning to become a more effective follower need not be impossible.
Followership scholars like Lussier & Achua (2016) have offered some guidelines to
becoming a more productive follower. These include supporting leaders, taking the initiative,
counseling and coaching leaders when appropriate, raising issues and concerns when
necessary, seeking and encouraging honest feedback from leaders, clarifying one’s role and
expectations, showing appreciation, keeping leaders informed, and resisting the inappropriate
influence of leaders (Lussier & Achua, 2016). A good follower explores ways to support and
encourage a leader, especially when the leader is facing resistance in trying to introduce a
change the organization needs. The support and encouragement are easier to provide if the
follower’s work ethic and philosophy are aligned with those of the leader and the
organization. A good follower takes the initiative to do what is needed without being told.
Often, they work beyond their officially assigned duties. A good follower seizes opportunities
to counsel and coach the leader. This is important because, contrary to what most people
might assume, leaders, do not have all the answers to all problems, especially when they are
new or inexperienced.
A good follower raises concerns or issues whenever necessary, which can challenge
the organization to better performance (Lussier & Achua, 2016). A good follower also
actively seeks and encourages genuine feedback from their leader as such feedback helps the
follower improve their performance. A good follower seeks to clarify their role and what is
expected of them, hence less ambiguity and fewer misunderstandings with the leader. A good
follower appreciates their leader whenever they perform a good deed; leaders love to be
appreciated. A good follower keeps the leader informed at all times because they understand
that timely and accurate information empowers the leader to make sound decisions. Finally,
because a leader may be tempted to use their power to coerce a follower into acting
unethically or illegally, a good follower must be able to resist such influence.
Indeed, based on my experience first in the military then at the Fort Hood, TX-based
Department of Emergency Services, where I work currently, I agree with the assertion that to
contribute effectively to an organization, one must be able to both lead and follow. One may
not have the luxury of choosing only to be a follower. While serving as a non-commissioned
officer (NCO) in the military, I was responsible for leading unit operations, but even then, I
had superiors to report to. While I have a leadership role within the Security Guard Force unit
at DES, I am still answerable to higher authorities within DES.

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References

Antelo, A., Prilipko, E., & Sheridan-Pereira, M. (2010). Assessing Effective Attributes of
Followers in a Leadership Process. Contemporary Issues In Education Research,
3(10), 1-12.
Ford, J., & Harding, N. (2018). Followers in leadership theory: Fiction, fantasy, and illusion.
Leadership, 14(1), Unpaginated.
Lussier, R. N., & Achua, C. F. (2016). Leadership: Theory, Application, & Skill Development
(6 th ed.). Boston: CENGAGE Learning.
Stern, J. (2021). Do you follow? Understanding followership before leadership. Management
in Education, 31(1), Unpaginated.