Philosophy on Followership
Abstract In this paper I will discuss what followership is to me and what is expected out of a follower. I will introduce followers from different realms and show what they did to become the famous people they are today. Also I will be introducing bad followership.
Values on Followers No one is born a leader, and for sure no one jumps into a leadership role without first being a follower. No matter how many times you here the phrase “A good leader is also a good follower” or if you never heard of it before, it still holds itself to be true. But before a follower can become a leader, one must be a good follower to prove their self to become that leader. There are plenty different aspects of a good follower. Some for example according to The Latimer Group would be to carry one’s own weight, celebrating performance of others, and contributing to the process. There are also plenty of leaders in history who showed excellent followership before they went on to become a leader. Good followers are important because bad ones could cause problems both internally and externally within an organization. The aspects listed above show what it is like to be a leader. The Latimer Group explained the aspects like this: why celebrate the performance of others, because followers congratulate the success of their team members, or squad, or what have you. Good followers love to see their team succeed. Followers should be thinking “we” as a group, and rarely should be thinking of just “I” as an individual. It gets to a point though when a follower should realize that cheering on others is good but they should also be carrying on their own weight and not just watching others do the work for them. The follower should be part of the process, not just along for the ride, but putting in work for the team, and contributing whenever possible and appropriate. The Latimer Group brought up some good points, but I personally think there were a few things that they missed. For instance I
Values on Followers No one is born a leader, and for sure no one jumps into a leadership role without first being a follower. No matter how many times you here the phrase “A good leader is also a good follower” or if you never heard of it before, it still holds itself to be true. But before a follower can become a leader, one must be a good follower to prove their self to become that leader. There are plenty different aspects of a good follower. Some for example according to The Latimer Group would be to carry one’s own weight, celebrating performance of others, and contributing to the process. There are also plenty of leaders in history who showed excellent followership before they went on to become a leader. Good followers are important because bad ones could cause problems both internally and externally within an organization. The aspects listed above show what it is like to be a leader. The Latimer Group explained the aspects like this: why celebrate the performance of others, because followers congratulate the success of their team members, or squad, or what have you. Good followers love to see their team succeed. Followers should be thinking “we” as a group, and rarely should be thinking of just “I” as an individual. It gets to a point though when a follower should realize that cheering on others is good but they should also be carrying on their own weight and not just watching others do the work for them. The follower should be part of the process, not just along for the ride, but putting in work for the team, and contributing whenever possible and appropriate. The Latimer Group brought up some good points, but I personally think there were a few things that they missed. For instance I
References: Meilinger, Phillip S. "The 10 Rules of Good Followership." The Lead Institute, n.d. Web. 18 Oct. 2012. <http://myemail.constantcontact.com/LEAD-Insight-Newsletter---The-10-Rules-of-Good-Followership.html?soid=1104410920601>. "Menu." Michael Hyatt 's Blog. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Oct. 2012. <http://michaelhyatt.com/why-the best-leaders-are-great-followers.html>. "7 Characteristics of Good Followership." The Beacon Blog. The Latimer Group, n.d. Web. 18 Oct. 2012. <http://www.thebeaconblog.org/2012/04/30/7-characteristics-of-good-followership/>.