I love this clip, almost three minutes long and loaded with messages for leaders and it introduces ‘courageous’ followers. It looks like it includes a few sheep but enthusiastic dancing sheep rather than stumbling bleating ones.
The narrator provides ideas rather than answers, maybe because there’s no question.
Lessons from the three minute clip: A leader must be easy to follow, and it is true that followers want to know what is expected of them. A leader needs to embrace followers as equals, it’s not about you (the leader that is). One way to encourage people to do what you want them to do is to treat them well and be worthy of following. It’s the ‘first’ follower transforms a lone nut into a leader by courageously following. That’s a great term ‘courageously following’ and a sea-change from the vocal dissenters who are all too familiar. That point is important because new followers emulate followers not the leader. It’s followers whose example encourages others to join, and follow.
This is a lesson for followers more than leaders. Yes?
I agree! I think the first follower role is critically important. Which raises a whole bunch of questions:
- Do we have the courage to be first followers?
- Who do we choose to follow?
- How do we choose who to follow them?
- Do we shift between following and leading?
From a recent article about ethics and banking:
“The four bankers revealed ethical dilemmas they’ve encountered in their own careers, like managers pushing inappropriate sales and colleagues coveting profits from reckless lending. They acknowledged it can be difficult for their employees to speak up when they see wrongdoing, but said they work hard to encourage them to do so.”
- Followers have great responsibilities. (I love how William Ury approaches this: http://www.ted.com/talks/william_ury.html)
Amazon sells 168 books about followership (75,000 about leadership). What’s up with that?!