Flip The Script: The World of Fabulous Followers

Last week, during my daughter’s pedagogy session, an intriguing discussion unfolded. We explored how modern curriculums aim to cultivate leaders for the new era and how the World Economic Forum underscores the essential skills needed for the leaders of tomorrow.

We reflected on the traditional education system, which was structured to produce uniform graduates—students encouraged to memorize facts, regurgitate information, and conform to a predetermined mold, leaving little room for independent thought or creativity. It’s akin to trying to fit a square peg into a round hole—frustrating and ultimately futile. The educators recognized the urgent need for an education system that celebrates diversity, nurtures curiosity, and empowers students to think independently—an environment where innovative thinkers and leaders can truly thrive.

We then examined a new and progressive curriculum designed to shape students into critical thinkers, creative problem-solvers, and compassionate leaders. It’s like building a mental toolkit versatile enough to tackle any challenge that comes their way. The emphasis is on fostering a sense of independence and curiosity that will serve them well long after they’ve left the classroom.

The facilitators emphasized that by promoting critical thinking, creativity, and social responsibility, the new curriculum shapes the leaders of tomorrow—one curious mind at a time.

So far, so good, right? The where’s the problem, and why am I writing this?

Stay with me, and I'll tell you why.

As someone perpetually curious and restless, I raised my hand to ask a question that had been on my mind for quite some time. This was a safe space where parents shared concerns about rapid skills obsolescence, looming unemployment, toxic competitiveness, and the overcrowded classrooms offering leadership courses.

Should we stop glorifying only the leaders, or should we design our social interactions to cultivate more charismatic leaders while also developing an enviable class of aware, awakened, and excellent followers?

Should we make a deliberate attempt to shift from a leader-centric approach and focus more on followers??

In her book "Followership: How Followers are Creating Change and Changing Leaders," Barbara Kellerman argues that followers have played increasingly vital roles over time. Followers are becoming equally important, if not more so. Thanks to "Followership," we can finally appreciate the ways in which those with relatively fewer sources of power, authority, and influence are consequential. Moreover, they are becoming bolder and more strategic.?

As Kellerman makes clear, to fixate on leaders at the expense of followers is perilous. The latter are every bit as important as the former.

I've pondered this issue for a few years now. The world is obsessed with developing leadership qualities, identifying and nurturing young leaders, and, whenever convenient, adding the diversity element to it.

In India alone, roughly 470 million people make up the organized workforce—this critical mass drives economic, social, and intellectual growth.

Shouldn't we shift the focus to followers and make them the heroes of this narrative??

For quite some time now, we've embraced this belief: Leaders aren't merely born; they're crafted through experience and growth.?Let's add more ingredients to this mix. Followers aren't mere bystanders; they're vibrant individuals actively involved in propelling change and molding the path of organizations and societies.

They play a major role in challenging authority, promoting ethical leadership, and holding leaders accountable.?

A good follower is engaged, and willing to cooperate to achieve the mission, demonstrating a high degree of teamwork, and building cohesion.?

A growing concern is the excessive glorification of ultra-successful leaders and their respective professions. Entire generations design their lives to replicate these successes without pausing to reflect on the true passion, grit, and ecosystem that got them there.

I urge us to consider whether we should engage in this backward engineering based on the commercial viability of a particular career or position, or explore the paths that lead us to our true north, happiness, and excellence

Our societies are wrestling with with physical, emotional, and financial health crises and burnout, all stemming from unsustainable perspectives on lifestyles, growth, success, and power handling.

The market now commodifies every facet of our well-being, transforming basic needs into products and solutions. Whether it's fitness regimens, nutritional supplements, creative pursuits, or even relaxation techniques like sleep aids, hydration products, and mindfulness apps, everything is commercialized and readily available for purchase.

Elements that should have organically integrated into our daily routines are now packaged as exclusive lifestyle subscriptions. The relentless pursuit of success constantly extends the boundaries of what's considered essential, perpetually shifting the goalposts of achievement.

How about Organizations re-visit the orchestration of gladiator-style competitions for leadership roles, where individuals burn out and sacrifice themselves for the sake of recognition?

Instead of fixating on churning out more leaders and burdening the current ones with excessive demands, why not shift our attention to the vast multitude of individuals who find fulfilment in contributing as engaged followers, each bringing their unique perspective and participation to the table

Barbara Kellerman has done significant work in this area and categorizes followers into five types:

• Isolates: Completely detached and passive, they do not engage with leaders or the group.
• Bystanders: Somewhat detached, they observe but do not participate actively, influenced by self-interest.
• Participants: Moderately engaged, they invest time and effort to make an impact, either supporting or opposing the leader.
• Activists: Highly engaged, they are passionate and committed, actively working to support or oppose the leader.
• Diehards: Extremely engaged, willing to go to great lengths, even risking personal sacrifice for their cause.

Kellerman highlights that the modern follower's role is shaped by cultural and technological changes, which alter their expectations and interactions with leaders.

Organizations generally adopt the mantra: "We are only as strong as our weakest link," so how about helping followers really follow-well?

Today's followers represent a new breed. They are enlightened, informed, and empowered by digitization and social media to drive significant change. Mainstream perceptions have historically underestimated followers, but the times demand that they be given their due attention now.

Think of followers as the close relatives of large language models (LLMs). They serve as the aggregated data sets that inform the algorithms of change. To effectively address disparities, biases, and uncertainties, it's imperative that we center our attention on followers, heed their voices, and strive to enhance and refine their role in shaping our collective future.

In a society where hyper-personalization, individualism, and self-centricity are relentlessly promoted, often overshadowing collective efforts and communal values, the importance of engaged followers cannot be overstated. The high-engagement, high-challenge follower is the leader’s secret weapon in these unprecedented times. The collective moves forward, and leaders perform better when their followers are genuinely invested in their success and have a backbone.

During crises, it's essential for both leaders and followers to unite and work together to overcome challenges and find solutions.

As Lawrence Suda explains, “Effective followers display the courage to assume responsibility for the common purpose, to challenge their leaders, to participate in transformation, to serve others, and to leave the organization when necessary.”

Followers have the power to either drain the energy of even the best leaders by disengaging mentally or physically, or they can rise to the occasion and actively support the leader in navigating through turbulent waters.?

Another perspective on leadership presents a perplexing challenge: Many individuals naturally drawn to leadership positions lack the humility and integrity essential for effective leadership. Conversely, those possessing such qualities often find themselves overwhelmed by the pressures, criticisms, and unacknowledged efforts inherent in leadership roles. Consequently, they may retreat to safety or become disheartened, leaving only their more ruthless counterparts to vie for dominance.

If we want to have any hope of changing this, we have to do a better job of building up the people who aren’t natural leaders and do not want to occupy the corner office but have qualities that can serve our organizations and our communities.

Effective followers demonstrate the courage to confront authority, challenge assumptions, and call out unethical conduct. By doing so, they play a crucial role in ensuring that leaders prioritize the well-being of both the organization and society at large.

It would be inspiring to see change-makers putting in efforts to celebrate the followers, recognizing their unparalleled impact, and creating charismatic follower personas.

I hope to encounter venerated profiles and figures celebrated as icons among followers, revered for their exemplary craft and influence.

I hope that our education systems prepare a populous society like ours to have a gorgeous tapestry of followers and learn the art and science of followership if they don't wish to lead.

I hope that we re-write the definitions of a successful journey to create ample space for followers.

I hope that organizations invite pathbreaking followers to address and exemplify the possibility of a truly equitable and balanced world of work.

Are you a leader or a follower? How do you see this space evolving in the new era of relationship economy?

Let's connect if you would like to be coached or mentored in areas of leadership or followership