It’s no secret that I am both passionate about leadership and appreciative of the opportunity to follow those who truly lead. I believe effective followership is the path to effective leadership. In fact, I would go so far as to say that one cannot effectively lead if they don’t know how to follow. However, the reverse is not true, as we need not to know how to lead in order to effectively follow.
Like so many aspects of life, the real magic happens at the intersection…the intersection of leadership and followership. Every leader has a senior to whom he reports and whom he follows. Every leader has a responsibility to both lead and follow, but what happens when a leader chooses to do little more than follow, to do what he is told and decides that his job is to task individuals in favor of leading his team?
The answer is simple, frustration. Of late, I have conversed with many valued junior leaders. Leaders who were previously encouraged to influence just about everything within and slightly beyond their reach, only to be reminded to “shut up and color.” Leaders who were once conditioned to be constructively critical and voice their concerns, only to be told to mind their own business and assimilate. It doesn’t take long for these leaders to begin ignoring their need to demonstrate personal initiative, to stop taking ownership of the outcome, and to plan their exit strategy in earnest. Unfortunately, this is where many of the leaders with whom I led in the past now find themselves.
A leader’s responsibility is not to merely follow their leader, nor is it to create more followers. It is to critically think about and creatively execute a path that will ultimately deliver the desired outcome, creating more leaders along the way. This is especially true in an organization like the military that has so much turnover. We are continually developing our relief. Many of us remain committed to developing leaders, unfortunately too many others, intentionally or not, are diminishing the very leaders we invested so much time developing and returning them to proper followership.
Some of us are able to take great pride in the leaders we have helped to develop and enjoy greater influence and opportunity within the same organization. For example, in the Navy, a leader may boast about the number of proteges they have helped to become senior enlisted leaders, earn a commission, or develop into Commanding Officers. I aspire to be one of those people. Unfortunately, some of us will identify with a different metric. A metric that captures the number of leaders we have helped to develop who are then diminished by others across the organization, ultimately resulting in a search for another employer that truly values their unique contributions.
All leaders follow, good leaders truly lead, and great leaders (and followers) demand that their subordinates (and leaders) do far more than follow. Unfortunately, too many people with leadership positions are doing little more than following, while true leaders are being asked merely to follow these so-called “leaders”.
- What are you doing to ensure you are not diminishing the individuals on your team?
- Are you giving the most valued members of your team reason to own outcomes, lead WITH you, and stay on your team?
- It is said that people don’t quit organizations, they quit their leader. Who is quitting because of you?
I believe Leaders diminish into followers for 2 primary reasons: lack of vision and fragile egos.
A leader must be able to communicate a clear vision, and motivate others to follow willingly. Many people in positions of leadership are unable to see beyond the status quo, and are driven to only prevent regression. I often hear comments like, “If I can make it out of here without killing anyone, I’ll promote,” or “Just keep me out of trouble Chief, LT, XO…” If we continue down a path dedicated to maintaining our position we will never reach higher ground. This “protect my position” mentality not only prevents leaders from making a lasting difference, it stifles creativity and innovation from their workforce.
During a recent flight I had the opportunity to talk with a Doctor sitting next to me. He was a neurosurgeon and was returning from a conference, so I asked him what was new in his field. He stated that there is physiological evidence that people are losing the ability to think long-term. Thirty years ago the ability to conceptualize a “five year plan” was commonplace; people had the capacity to think through five years of detail. Today, the brain has lost the ability to think that far in advance. He attributed it to technology and the diminished need to remember even the most trivial data. We are a culture of instant gratification and limitless information at our fingertips. Our brains are forgetting how to structure, organize, and retain data at a staggering rate. This doesn’t bode well for future leaders.
If leaders fail to think beyond their current reality and do not chart a course that improves their condition, they are not leaders, but followers of those who came before them. Those who “lead” by carrying out the tasks established by their predecessors and maintaining the status quo kill creativity and innovation by failing to create a culture that strives for greatness not yet realized.
There is no place in leadership for ego. Often people in positions of power and influence believe they are more important, knowledgeable, and capable than the workforce they are leading. This ego is detrimental and counterproductive. John Eldredge, in his book The Way of the Wild Heart states, “If something in a man is left uninitiated before he becomes a King, he will rule selfishly or out of insecurity and ultimately harm those whom he ought to be serving.” When people are promoted in the military (or any organization) without gaining the requisite experience and knowledge for their appointment they are ill prepared to lead. “Checking boxes” and promoting accordingly has fostered a culture of insecure and inept “leaders” who hide behind collar devices, and are afraid to follow. This behavior suppresses forward thinking because it intimidates the “leader” by potentially exposing their inadequacies. It is not a sign of weakness to admit failure and to be influenced by others. A leader should acknowledge their shortcomings and celebrate brilliance in their team.
Love your comment, Matt. Much wisdom within. Glad you are helping to shape the minds of our future leaders.
Amazing, I decided to give a title of my presentation Leadership (and Followership) Excellence few weeks ago. Now I discovered that you have invented this first….
Congratulations!
JM
I hardly invented it and few of my thoughts are truly original, but I do thank you. I’d love to hear more about your talk if you are willing to share.