Leadership for me is to Cultivating Independent Thinkers and Future Leaders NOT Followers

In the contemporary business environment, organisations are no longer mere assemblies of individuals working towards a common goal. They are dynamic systems built on relationships, communication, cooperation, and leadership. Traditionally, the leadership model has been hierarchical, with a top leader providing guidance and direction and employees following suit. However, this model might not be the most effective for fostering a strong and sustainable organisation. A more modern approach to leadership embraces developing independent thinkers and future leaders rather than cultivating a cohort of followers.

Recently, I was asked about my former role as a top executive and why anyone should choose to follow me as a leader. My response to this is simple: I do not desire followers. I want colleagues who think independently and who can challenge me just as I can challenge them. For me, leadership is about building the next generation of leaders and developing employees and executives who can operate effectively without a top leader.

Today, more than enough leaders are building an army of followers. But what happens when something unexpected occurs and the guiding star suddenly disappears? A leadership vacuum arises. However, we make a more robust and sustainable organisation by developing and training employees and middle managers to think for themselves and be reflective individuals.

Creating More Leaders, Not Followers

Some people argue that to be a leader; you must also have followers. However, authentic leadership presents a different perspective. True leaders don’t create followers; they create more leaders.

Followers are dependent—they need instructions. Creating followers increases the leader's workload and forms a dependency pattern that leads to stagnation. The organisation’s capacity to change becomes confined to the power of a single leader, with the leader becoming a bottleneck.

Creating followers may be beneficial in times of stability as it aligns everyone behind the leader’s goal. However, when times are volatile, flexibility and adaptability become paramount.

To survive in a rapidly changing environment, the organisation’s capacity to adapt must surpass the rate of change in the marketplace. Leaders who generate followers reduce the organisation’s ability to adapt. Conversely, leaders who cultivate more leaders enhance the organisation’s capacity to evolve and grow, increasing its resilience and agility.

Creating more leaders does pose a new challenge—how to coordinate various parts and which opportunities to pursue, amongst many. Nonetheless, this is a preferable problem, especially compared to stagnation. And if the new leaders are authentic leaders (who also create more leaders), then it is a relatively manageable issue.

Leaders who create more leaders expand their ability to generate results from a distance. They enhance their capacity and the results they can achieve. They also improve the power of their organisations to succeed. Therefore, the more leaders, the better.

The current leadership framework and its tools are about creating more self-directed leaders.

Reflect on this:

• Do the people you work with encourage you to be a better leader or follower
• What traits do you foster in those around you?
• Which approach will better serve you and your organisation in the upcoming years?

The answers might redefine you’re understanding and practice of leadership.