Choose to Follow
In my adult life I have lived in six different States. I have owned four different homes and lived in seven rental properties. I know firsthand how stressful moving can be! For me, one of the greatest stressors in moving is finding new doctors. While I appreciate references and insights from friends, I know that the best way for me to select new doctors is to experience that person in action; did she listen to me? How was her bedside manner? How long did I have to wait? These are all questions I want to experience in order to select the doctors with whom I trust to work.
What if we applied this same logic to the process of leadership development? Instead of talking about leadership, assessing someone’s leadership potential behind closed doors, and assigning leadership based on seniority or rank, we actually experienced their leadership by becoming their follower? When we, as leaders, choose to follow, we are allowing ourselves to directly experience the leadership of someone else. This allows us to better understand the strengths and weaknesses of other leaders. Additionally, experiencing their leadership will help us assess their best leadership fit and growth path.
The decision to follow is an intentional investment in the leadership development of others. When we choose to follow, we are allowing others the opportunity to practice their leadership skills. It is difficult to lead if you have no followers. Too often leaders fear that if they choose to follow they will no longer be able to lead, but the reality is there is a significant need for more leaders. A leader who chooses to follow is making space for others at the leadership table, or as John Pavolitz says, “we are building a bigger table.” One of the greatest gifts we can give someone is to grant them the space they need to lead, and in order to lead they will need followers. Choosing to follow when you know you can lead is a gift we can give to others.
While choosing to follow allows us to experience someone’s leadership firsthand and creates space for them to lead, we are also modeling and extending trust. In The Thin Book of Trust, Charles Feltman says, “trust is choosing to risk making something you value vulnerable to another person’s actions.” When we choose to follow, we are allowing someone else to hold the compass and trusting their ability to direct the path we should take. This is a genuine act of trust as a leader. If actions speak louder than words then choosing to follow when you know you could lead says to someone else, “I trust you with this.”
And lastly, when we choose to follow, we are allowing ourselves the opportunity to see with fresh eyes. I was recently in a situation where I made the decision to follow another leader. He seemed to be well respected and a veteran leader in his industry. I quickly discovered that the way he chose to communicate left people feeling confused, unseen, and undervalued. This forced me to think about how I communicate with others. I found myself saying, “I don’t ever want the people I am leading to feel this way. I need and want to make some changes to ensure this isn’t how my followers feel.” While my time following this individual was difficult, I certainly learned a lot in the process as I experienced his leadership from the perspective of a follower.
The alchemy of leadership – the rearranging of the parts – means sometimes we lead and sometimes we follow. Both parts are critical to success. I am grateful for the opportunities I have been given to lead, but I am equally humbled when I can experience leadership, invest in and support others, build trust, and see leadership from a new perspective by following. While we don’t own leadership, it is ours to share and we should do so generously.
Just because you can lead doesn’t always mean you should. Sometimes great leadership means choosing to follow when you know you could lead.
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