Following for Success

Jesus saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax office, and he said to him, "Follow me!" So he got up and followed him. - Matthew (the apostle)

Whenever the leader-follower relationship is mentioned more emphasis is laid on the leader as the all-in-all of the duo. The leader is made to look strong and hence idolized. This makes us desire leadership and not followership.

Has it occurred to you, though, that there is no leadership without followership? The follower is as much responsible for the overall success of any organization as the leader. I will proceed to show five types of followers and in them you will see why some organizations succeed while others fail.

THE FEEBLE FOLLOWER: This follower is passive and inactive. He allows – indeed wants – the leader to do everything. He does not take responsibility for his actions but always hides behind the leader. Though this follower is loved by weak leaders, a strong leader will find him restrictive. Potential of both leader and follower will not be fully exploited as the leader has to drag the follower along in every action.

THE SELF-SERVING FOLLOWER: This follower is only concerned about himself. He wants to show-off personal ability at the expense of the organization. He sees his position only as an opportunity to sell himself to the world. The leader will eventually feel there is no point for him being there as no following is actually accomplished.

THE REBELLIOUS FOLLOWER: This follower has no respect for the vision of the leader. He will change plans and course of action without checking with the leader. He always has a different point of view even when a different one isn’t needed. Most leaders don’t want to lead such followers. There is little or no fun at all as the work environment is often aggressive and hostile.

THE GRACEFUL FOLLOWER: This follower is fully engaged in every process. He pays full attention and desires harmony with the leader. Co-creation is the key word in this leader-follower relationship. Potential is easily maximized with this follower because the leader feels more creative and free to explore the different aspects of his vision.

THE STRONG FOLLOWER: There are many instances where the leader goes off balance and loses focus on the vision. The strong follower helps stabilize the process. He ensures that the organization does not fall apart because of a temporary shakeup. This level of followership usually grows out of graceful following.

Productive organizations have complimentary followership as opposed to merely the traditional hierarchical ones. Leaders and followers should help each other achieve the common goal by making unique contributions to the organization.