Followership

Those who have been lucky enough to have studied Leadership will certainly have stumbled across the implied role of the follower, for followership is an implied task, meaning it is not directed or defined. There is no job or position description for being a follower and an account of your performance as a follower probably won’t sell too many books.

A love for leadership MUST include a love for followership. Without absolute definitions or expectations, the two exist in symbiosis, ever-evolving concepts that affect everything that we do as adults.

There are some fascinating academic concepts and real emotions to explore in this topic area. But first, reflect on a time that you witnessed poor leadership?

British Army Doctrine

The British Army hosts an entire section on Followership Doctrine. https://www.army.mod.uk/media/23250/20230801-army_doctrin_note_followership-cal-o.pdf

Followership is the act of an individual or individuals willingly accepting the influence of others to achieve a shared outcome.

If we think of leadership as a relationship, an interaction between two or more individuals, a leader must have someone to lead. Leadership and followership are, therefore, inextricably linked. They not only coexist but are mutually supporting and work together to achieve a shared goal, driven by a shared purpose.

The doctrine rather elegantly suggests that leadership and followership, in equal proportion, coalesce around a shared purpose both bounded by a set of shared values. Time for an observation!

Observation following 23 years in the military!! The process of selection into the military is a complex one. First, the self-selection from the population, choosing to volunteer for 16 years of military service (in my case). Trust me, the vast majority of us in the selection center on day one were similar in some of our core values; selflessness, adventure, wonder, self-development, confidence. Then there is the subsequent 2-3 years of pilot training, during which your ability to master and demonstrate ‘Officer Qualities’ will largely determine your overall success or failure. What am I saying? The military can be quite confident that 99% of their working population will share key core values as a population. Not too many outliers on that very tight bell-curve.

Question - Do you know your core values?

Extended Question - Do you know the core values of your leaders or your colleagues?

Reflect back to your example of poor leadership. Did you know the values of that leader? Were you united around a shared goal? How did your followership affect that leader? Did you trust that leader?

Leading and following based on a set of values, for example a company values statement or team charter creates unity, belonging and TRUST.

So, should we all be thinking about followership as much as we think about leadership? Which has primacy? Can one be spoke about without the other? Peter Drucker certainly thinks so. Management theorist, philosopher author and legend, Drucker has for some time reflected a view that we are obsessed with leadership to the detriment of studying followership. But the followership revolution hasn’t materialised.

Rachael Thompson, Senior Lecturer in the Corporate and Executive Development Department at Newcastle Business School, Northumbria University, and Chair of the Followership Learning Community at the International Leadership Association agrees. Her view is that early concepts of followership were based solely on notions of obedience and passivity, not exactly a symbiotic relationship as the British Army describes.

Marc Hurwitz, lecturer and Associate Director of undergraduate studies at the Conrad School of Entrepreneurship and Business at Waterloo University, has been involved in the business of followership and collaboration for around 15 years. He visualises leadership and followership as a dance for two people, whereby both need to know the routine in equal measure, and if either one is not prepared or practiced, the dance falls apart no matter how hard the other tries.

But not everyone believes in followership as a concept at all.

Kate Cooper, Head of Research, Policy and Standards at The Institute of Leadership & Management doesn’t believe the term is fit for purpose. She prefers ideas of collaboration and a recognition of the fluidity of power dynamics between those who are ‘led’ and those who ‘follow’, as nearly all employees are accountable and answerable to someone. “I think the word ‘followership’ is unfortunate; it is just such a less-than concept,” she says.

What are your views? How does the way you turn up to work affect others, whether leader or follower? There are many possible views based on your own values and beliefs. If you have never examined your own values and beliefs, consider talking to a coach to discover the power and clarity you could unlock.