Follow the follower

What is it that the leader has, or represents, that inspires followers to follow? Gallup studied leadership through this perspective, too, and came up with the framework of the four needs of followers. You can learn more here.

That’s an interesting angle that may help to answer the question “where do I start”. For the followers to follow, what should the leader have, radiate and inspire? How should it feel for the follower to embrace the lead? And how can the follower propose something to the leader or share feedback?

This is borrowed from tango, of course. An active follower is a creative one, who does not take over the lead, but has a voice and uses an opportunity to propose their own interpretation of the dance, - while following the lead. And the leader, in a way, is also following, - the follower. It’s the dialogue with a constant focus on the other role.

How does this inform business environments?

Followers may refuse to dance (i.e. buy the product, continue the employment or extend their subscription) if the lead isn’t right for them (see Gallup’s four needs, again).

Leaders should be informed about what’s going on, all the time (the power of feedback).

Both parties need each other, and it’s dynamic (your target audience stays with you for some reason, and so does your competitors' audience).

To understand leadership, we should also understand followership.

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