Being a "Follower"? vs. a "Leader"?
www.JoshHMiller.com | Joshua H. Miller

Being a "Follower" vs. a "Leader"

Something Silly

On 4 January 2019, the?@world_record_egg account?was created, and posted an image of a bird egg with the caption, "Let's set a world record together and get the most liked post on Instagram. Beating the current world record held by Kylie Jenner (18 million)



Something Serious


The Importance Of Being A Follower

One might argue that the relationship between leaders and followers is pretty clear. Leaders lead. Followers follow.

The common perception of a leader is someone with admirable qualities- competency, intelligence, strength, accountability. The list is long.

Followers, on the other hand, are often thought to lack the courage to be leaders.

Which makes it ironic, as that leaders and followers alike have a willingness to learn and support one another and without followers, there is no one to lead.

This brings us to the good and bad makeup of a follower.?

I love how Barbara Kellerman and Tomas Premuzik brilliantly stated this in their Fast Company article:

  • “Good followers decline to follow leaders who are dangerously bad. And good followers line up behind leaders who are good or, at least, good enough. Similarly, bad followers follow leaders even if they are dangerously bad. And bad followers decline to follow leaders who are good or, at least, good enough.”

According to Barbara Kellerman, a leadership lecturer at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government, there are 5 skills you learn being a good follower:

  • Awareness
  • Diplomacy
  • Courage
  • Collaboration
  • Critical Thinking

The skills required to be an effective follower translate to being a strong leader and just as every professional started off as a beginner, every leader was once a follower.

In the end, you have to learn to be a follower before you can become a leader.?


Let’s discuss.?
Share your thoughts in the comments below.


Joshua Miller?is a Master Certified?Executive Coach,?who sets up Fortune 500 emerging and senior leaders for future success by upgrading their mindset, skillset, and performance so they can lead with purpose.

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Gary Gregory

Best-Selling Author * Speaker * VP, Operational Initiatives

3 年

What a powerful message Joshua Miller. I absolutely love this article. Being a following is where you can learn leadership character. I would add - a good follower following a good leader can learn Humility, Obedience, Clarity, Relationships, Engagement, Discipline and Empowerment. All these skills is what you will fill your cup with to lead yourself so that you can eventually lead others.

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Frances Dunn

Office Administration at Nedbank CIB

3 年

Both, depending on the situation, you choose to be either a leader or a follower, assess the situation well.

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? Henry Chidgey

Helping small to mid-sized business owners build strong teams, create a thriving culture, boost profits, and reclaim time—real strategies, no theories, just practical tactics that work

3 年

Excellent Joshua. Thanks for sharing.

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Amy Blaschka

Professional Image Consultant | Color & Style Expert | I help leaders elevate their presence to magnify their impact. | Former Ghostwriter | Forbes Leadership Contributor

3 年

Great leaders and followers are cut from the same cloth, Joshua.

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