The importance of good Followership

It's all about getting ahead, becoming number one, being a leader.

But we can't all be leaders, can we? Of course not. Is Leadership overrated - well if you look at the numbers, there are a lot more people who are not leaders, or perhaps further down the ladder - but bosses in their own right - however also needing to take instructions from someone higher.

I haven't gone running with Nigel for a while,
but I remember it's a lesson in following.

A leader needs people to lead, to understand, to follow, to comply. Compliance is a difficult word in our society, with renewed focus individualism and personal rights, both of which are good in their own way but hamper the ability of leadership to be effective, regardless of its quality.

With a push to create more leaders in the industry, the need to work under someone else could seem weak - walking behind another might make you feel like a servant or humbled, a feeling which is difficult to swallow.

We need good leaders. But even more importantly, there must be good followers which (in my opinion):

• Listens to what the leader says with an open and trusting mindset
• Questions and pushes back where necessary, acting as a sounding board to reflect opinions coming from a different angle
• Ultimately understanding that policies cannot cater to every individual, but is meant to help the entire collective (country, organisation, team) move forward in the best way possible

A group is only as good as the individuals within it, leaders and followers alike. And a cohesive team, all working towards the same objective in a unified manner, is always going to do better than one which behaves like a bunch of individuals.