Are Followers Approaching Extinction?

Ordinarily, leadership has been defined by the appearance of followers. If followers are present, you’re a leader. Or at least that’s exactly how it’s been traditionally understood. However, if that’s the fact, if we all come to be leaders, do we all quit being leaders because we have no devotees? Is a leader a person who can “get” others to follow? Or is a leader something more?

Plenty of days I am reminded of the trials inherent in communication because of distinctions in the substance of words. Recently, in a group atmosphere, my colleague Cynthia Stewart made a statement that I took issue with about leadership.

“It is misguided to accept that we can supervise men and women. We can manage stuff, but not living, breathing people. People don’t wish to be managed, in fact, people hate to be managed. Individuals want to be led.”

Her remark, I am sure, lined up effectively with the idea that leadership is influence. People don’t choose to be put in little boxes and handled like a resource or a chore. They choose to be swayed to make independent choices about their involvement sans manipulation.

Cynthia, a quality virtuoso with years consulting in industry who developed the Lead Quality Group on LinkedIn, was really making the distinction between smothering, manipulative bosses and inspiring leaders.

“Empowering leaders, those you refer to as character-based leaders, trust and believe in persons and want to motivate and empower those below their authority to grow and become the very best they might be. It is up to character-based leaders to direct the vision and rally individuals behind it, showing them what they can gain personally and professionally in achieving it.”

Agreeing with my friend and her interpretation, I still differed with the statement. The words, lead, influence, and persuade can all seem like manipulation or compulsion to me. Yes, I know coercion means force, but when an individual learns the consequences of an action are larger than they can tolerate, they might feel “forced” to perform something.

Simon Sinek said that we only have two approaches to get people to act: encouragement or control. When encouraged, people offer drive, exhilaration, creativity, passion, commitment, loyalty and a load of other positives to any effort. When manipulated, at best (for the leader) they provide those same sentiments, at least until they realize their error. When they feel sold, manipulated or when their determination wanes, so does their effort.

Did you get in the labor force deciding to become a follower? Positional leaders demand followers. You’re not “in” the lead unless you have individuals that are also ready to follow. If every person became a leader now, where would all the followers emerge from?

Everyday, character-based leaders, those who lead from who they are, rather than from a title, freely choose to submit to the directorship of others. Those others may be in positions of leadership or they may not. Those others may simply have a better strategy, or be more qualified, but they have no “title” of influence. They’re not “in charge.”

In my repartee back and forth with Cynthia, it turns out we weren’t that far apart. In reality, we all need to lead where we can dependent on our abilities, skills, wisdom & education, and we all need to obey where we can not or choose not to lead.

To her point:

“I won’t ever be a pastor, so I look to my pastor. I won’t ever be a surgeon, an elected official, a superintendent, etc. so I bank on others for that and take their direction. I follow in many areas of my life, but I direct my life, I lead my family along with my spouse and I lead my organization.”

Well said.

We can each be character-based leaders, leading from who we happen to be. We don’t “turn into” a follower when we decide to join. We don’t alter who we are by choosing to serve someone else in order to attain a goal. The United States was formed on principles like these. We are equals, taking various roles to accomplish shared objectives. When we become leaders, on the inside, as part of our character, we don’t quit enlisting, supporting or serving. In fact, we may enlist more, support more or serve more once we welcome responsibility for our own leadership. (For more on this, see The Three Promises of Character-based Leadership.)

Our planet needs more great leaders. No, we don’t need more people in positions of authority. Rather we require more character-based leaders both in and out of positions of authority. Be a leader. Decide to make a difference. Join someone or start something on your own. You don’t need my permission.

We can only entirely be leaders when we welcome personal duty and decide to enlist of our own educated, free will.

About the Authors:

Mike is the founder and Chief Instigator of the Lead Change Group. He’s passionate about energizing motivated people to make a positive difference. Connect with Mike via his member profile, LinkedIn, Twitter, or Facebook.

Cynthia Stewart is the Managing Partner of Evermore Services, a transformative leadership development firm that helps growing businesses with a focus on Quality of work and life.  Connect with her on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Want to be our next guest author? Click here for details…