Followership
Followership is defined as many things, and most often, it is in the context of supporting leaders and how leaders can best manage their followers. While this can be helpful to improve good teams, it doesn't center 'followers' or allow for anyone's perspective other than 'leaders'.
A followership focus demands that we start looking at how we can engage individuals as followers first - to ultimately improve how we motivate people, how we contribute to movements, communities, and teams, and, yes, to strengthen leader/follower relationships.
Why a focus on followership?
The majority of followership literature and research focuses on adults in organizational settings (e.g., workplaces, corporate or military hierarchies), where roles are more defined and power dynamics are formalized. We tend to think of leadership as synonymous with management in these settings, and much of the literature assumes the follower is a subordinate reacting to leadership decisions.
Meanwhile, there is very little literature examining how followership behaviors take shape in adolescents or young adults who are just beginning to form their identities as leaders — especially in student government, volunteerism, clubs, or community work.
Accordingly, we are seeing a generational divide in followership perspectives. Older adults tend to view followership as an insult and an inferior position, favoring a leadership title even if there's no good leadership representation. All the while, younger adults are beginning to be disillusioned with the idea that 'everyone is a leader' and some of the older leadership frameworks. They are often restrictive, misrepresentative, and do not place appropriate value on seeing that change is done well — only that someone gets to take credit.
That is why we need a followership focus. We must take this time to look at what makes a person an effective follower and how we can encourage followership, even if the end goal is to be a leader. By being a better follower, you can be a better community member, team member, and leader.
Types of Followers
Kelley's Five Followership Styles
Where do we put our focus?
On effective follower behaviors.
1. By asking effective questions - learning what matters to a community, an organization, or whatever you are aiming to understand. Challenge unhelpful beliefs and work to be flexible and always learning.
2. By taking accountability for collective success - have stake in a mission or value and drive toward whatever the end goal is. Take action.
3. By thinking critically - engage with the material, with your surroundings, with your peers, and use the skills and knowledge you've gained to stop yourself from stagnating. Develop resilience.