The Importance of Being a Follower

Not everyone can get to the top. There's just not enough room up there. And that's really not a bad thing. We need people who are willing to follow those who lead; people who implement the leader's plans. And that may be where you (and I) come in.

Unfortunately, because there is a long-held viewpoint that being a follower means you are submissive and powerless, being in a support position somehow has become equated with a lack of importance, when, in fact, the opposite is true. People in support positions who are exceptionally good at their jobs can be just as powerful as people in leadership roles.

The Need for Followership

In reality, wherever there is leadership there is followership. The two co-exist in every walk of life. In fact, without followers there would be no leaders because there wouldn't be anyone to lead.

Being a good follower means you have developed some very important skills such as the ability to learn, to take direction and to benefit from the guidance of another. Being a good follower means you are motivated, reliable and a team player.

This does not automatically mean you follow someone blindly or act as a "yes" man. Followers need to have critical thinking skills and to assert their opinions and ideas. Followers allow their talents to be utilized for the good of the entire group and willingly contribute where they will be most effective. And many times followers help shape the leader by providing not only required support, but by providing needed insight and knowledge. Think of the relationship between the Chief of Staff and the President ofthe United States. This is leadership and followership at its finest.

Developing Great Follower Skills

If you think about it, there are more followers than leaders. Therefore, there are many more people out there who need the skills required to be a good follower. So what skills should they have?

• Self-management: Having the ability to manage yourself (read our companion article The Art of Self-Management: Five Areas in Your Control) means an ability to be productive, organized and efficient.
• Communication: Great followers listen and learn as well as express their thoughts, suggestions and ideas.
• Collaboration: A follower's success is tied to the team's success, whether it is a team of two or two thousand. To paraphrase a portion of a speech from the show West Wing, "We win together. We lose together. And we are better for having gone through it together."
• Loyalty: The best followers are committed to the team, the leader, and the mission and goals of the organization.

Being a follower is an important role. It is because of followers that leaders are made. Unfortunately, the term has developed a negative connation over the years; however, there is nothing negative about being the person who helps a leader to become successful. Being a follower means you need to be actively engaged in the success of the leader. Otherwise, the leader could soon fall from grace.

So the next time you consider a role as a leader or follower, consider the importance of both. And recognize that not everyone can be a leader.