Follower's Choice: Becoming a Leader

I would follow anyone who can guarantee my life would turn out. I realized long ago I didn’t know how to find such a leader; so I set out to create myself as a producer of followership opportunities, where it is the follower’s choice.

“Followers think of themselves as free agents, not as dependent underlings. And they act accordingly, often withholding support from bad leaders, throwing their weight behind good ones, and sometimes claiming commanding voices for those lower down in the social or organizational hierarchy.” - Barbara Kellerman, Harvard Business Review

Being a Leader

I love to win. I do not want to lead. Leading is a lot more work, and it is completely out of my control. Really. It is completely out of my control. I can make myself get up in the morning and exercise; I can make myself read a book. I cannot make anyone else do anything, ever.  This is one line I have tossed myself so many times, it is close to being embodied.  It is not possible to get anyone to do anything; yet it is possible to create followership opportunities. When I hold my role as a producer of opportunities for followership rather than as a “leader”, people follow…because followers get to choose whom they will follow.

I have also noticed followers always choose with one criterion in mind. They always choose to follow the person they believe will enable them to live a good life. We can debate how skilled they are at choosing a trustworthy leader to follow, but followers always believe they will live a good life or they won’t follow. Have you ever heard anyone say, “I am going to follow him because I know I will have a terrible life.”?

Politicians are masters at getting people to follow them in the short-term. I find there is more dignity and value in producing long-term opportunities to follow.

Follower's Choice:  How Do We Create a Leader?

I toss the “follower’s choice, always” line to new managers and leaders. They are used to having complete control over actions because they are used to being individual performers. Their first actions are to assign people tasks. I toss the line “It’s the follower’s choice, always”  before they even start holding the role. They nod their heads and say, “Of course Ron, I knew that.” I responded “Good, I was just checking.”

Two weeks later when I check in, they are frustrated and lost as to why they have to do all the work and they can’t make others get their work done. I smile and toss the line again, “It’s the follower’s choice, always.” I ask “What followership opportunities are you producing for them?” This time it takes them longer to answer. Normally I get a response like, “I thought I knew how to lead” or “I am not sure how to lead.”

My response is “Great, would you like some help?”

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