Followership
It's becoming more and more apparent as we move deeper into the 21st century, that what is really going to save us is...ourselves. Not us in our current, doubting, snarky, nasty, twisted, and seriously negative state. But perhaps a smarter, more understanding, focused, optimistic, and relentlessly driven version of ourselves that is willing to give the right people the roles of leadership and do whatever they can to support that leader. The scary thing (at least historically) is this type of statement could have been made by early supporters of the Nazi party. I'd like to believe the difference, this time around, is we're smarter.
Consider (once again) the follower. Who is this mythical beast? Where did she/he come from? What brought them to this point of "true believer"? What motivates the follower? Are they merely animals that respond to a ringing bell, a flashing light, or a promise of a free meal, free health care, or free cell phone??
Currently we're suffering what could be a crisis of leadership. Nobody seems nice enough, or smart enough, or capable enough to warrant the support of a clear majority of intended followers. You could argue that an election is the barometer by which we measure leadership potential, but the fact, these days, is that smaller and smaller groups of eligible voters are even showing up to make a selection. So we're left with the winner, who for the most part, has merely succeeded in "winning the ground game" and not winning the hearts and minds of those to be led.
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We should be worried about terms like "mandate", "majority", and "moral", which have all to frequently been invoked to silence critics and opinion outliers. Of course the majority always rules in a democracy, but are the true majorities being heard and understood??More importantly, are the true majorities engaged enough to be heard? Or are they?whining, bitter people who shake their fist at the TV set, frown, and then settle back into the La-Z-Boy thinking someone else will do the dirty work?
Become a good follower. The world needs you.
Art Direction, Creative Manager at Fluor Corporation
3 年I think most folks who are ambitious, see themselves as leaders, the problem these days, is you have too many leaders and no followers. I think in order to be a good leader you first have to be a good follower. Being a good follower helps you prepare for strong leadership. You learn lessons that prepare you physically and mentally to be a strong leader.
Author, speaker, ICF certified corporate executive coach
3 年Ira Chaleff's The Courageous Follower: Standing Up To and For Our Leaders contains a great deal of wisdom on this topic, including: ? “We can influence the existing culture if we respect these principles: Our willingness to stand out, to demonstrate differing attitudes; not as a challenge to the group but simply as an expression of our own outlook and vision, adds strength to the organization. Our appreciation and support of the values and traditions that give group pride and cohesion allow us to credibly model other characteristics not currently embraced by the group. By staying true to our own values and vision and linking these to the common purpose, we can influence the energy the group generates for accomplishing the purpose. Adhering to our own “higher” inclinations in a culture that doesn’t obviously support them requires clarity of values and self-acceptance.” People often conflate leadership with power, yet followers have tremendous power when they are willing to step up. Thanks for the post, Dave Summers. Stanley Ward, Ph.D., what do you say?
Top 10% of Podcasts on Spotify ??? Podcast Host: Awakened Nation ??? ? Creative Director ? Graphic Designer ? Experiential Designer ? Corp. Events ? Author: Liquid Leadership ?? ? TEDxSpeaker ? Keynote Speaker ??
3 年As I always say “Today’s political leadership is out of touch with the people they represent.” Great insights ???? Dave Summers
Helping CEOs Align Teams, Turn Strategy into Action & Lead Through Complex Change for Lasting Results
3 年On target as always ???? Dave Summers! We talk so much about leadership, oftentimes using the term to refer to people of a certain positional power in the organization or in society. This way we also transfer responsibility to the "other" rather than assuming responsibility ourselves! Leadership and followership go hand in hand!
Owner at Mediterranean Work & Play LLC (Spend More Time Doing Less) and New Jersey Concierges
3 年Dave, happy new year! I am not sure about the relentlessly driven part. There is no ideal choice, leader or decision but good enough ones. Things can always be tweeked along the way.