We all know leadership is a big deal, and there is so much written about it, including by me. A person could get very confused trying to follow all the latest fads and ideas about how to be a great leader. And I’m about to share another. But this one I feel is quite different as it deals with a very foundational aspect of great leadership that you can begin putting into practice from the first day of your career. The big idea? It is good followership.
There is a growing amount of writings on followership, and it can be distilled into a simple process that involves ensuring you follow your leader in a supportive and strategic way. A recent article by Augusto Giacoman in the strategy+business online newsletter (read it here) makes the point that followership is not blindly following orders, but is a requirement to becoming a truly great leader.
In fact, the article advocates very strongly that being a good follower involves both critical thinking and enthusiastic participation. Giacoman proposes three practices that will enhance your followership, and prepare you for great leadership. These are noted in very simple form below, but the article is well worth the read to get the full picture of what these practices involve:
1. Know your leader’s comfort zone. This involves understanding how external conditions effect your boss, and pay attention to what irritates them so you can avoid sparking negative emotions.
2. Stay within the comfort zone. It goes without saying, that you need to stay within the comfort zone of your leader.
3. Work to expand the comfort zone. Where you are willing to do the work, anticipate their needs, and willingly shoulder new responsibilities, you can expand the comfort zone of your boss, and demonstrate your readiness to take on more leadership roles.
It is also important to note that leadership and followership are not separate, but rather part of an inseparable system. You are never too far along the chain of command to be a good follower.
