Are you the kind of follower you want to lead?

The question every junior person should be asking themselves is: “Am I currently the kind of follower I would want to lead?”

Just about everywhere you look there is some kind of training on being a more effective leader. Leadership institutes have been in vogue for quite some time. However, there is next to nothing available on how to be an effective follower. If everybody is busy learning how to lead, who is following?

Unfortunately, the word “follower” has gotten a bad rap. Parents instill in their children at an early age that they should be leaders and not followers, in the hope that their sons/daughters will not fall in with a crowd that’s doing the wrong thing—but there are lots of great benefits to being a follower when you are following the right leader or even the right crowd. Being a good follower does not mean you are less valuable or even subservient to the leader. Good follower understand how vital they are and recognize that their effectiveness reflects negatively or positively on their leader’s performance. Every good follower who aspires to leadership should have the following two qualities:



Good listener



An effective follower is an exceptional listener. We’ve been taught to listen for words, tone of voice and body language, but the follower who listens for what is omitted is well on his or her way to being a consummate professional.



Solution oriented instead of complaint oriented



If you find yourself complaining about what’s wrong with the leaders and the team you are in, you yourself might not be a good leader. The leader who is most effective is the one who was constantly thinking about solutions to problems before he was a leader. Instead of complaining about the person in charge, a good follower thinks about the problem, devises at least two possible solutions to counteract those problems, and then presents them to the leader.

Nothing miraculous happens when you are elevated to the status of leader besides your access to certain circles, the title on your business card and having the buck now stop with you. Practising just these two basic followership skills will position you as a great follower now and an even better leader later as your approach will influence your team.

Karen Hinds is “The Workplace Success Expert.” For a FREE SPECIAL REPORT on Avoiding Career Killers in the Workplace, send an email to info@workplacesuccess.com

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