Learn to be a good follower

Learn to be a better follower

Gene Mage

I have a confession to make. During my twenty plus years in the business world, I have not always been the best follower.

With the passing of time, and gaining of experience, I have come to realize that to be an effective leader one must also be an effective follower. While thousands of books have been written on the topic of leadership, some by me, scant attention has been given to the topic of how to follow.

It takes both effective leadership, and effective “follower-ship”, to accomplish our organizational missions. Why? Because to get things done we must focus the energy and attention of people on a common goal. We must move from competing agendas to a sense of common mission.

Anytime we bring people together in an organization three agendas compete for the attention of the group:

Individual agendas: Each individual on a team has a set of goals. Individual goals include earning the respect of peers; validating one’s sense of competence; social fellowship; challenging one’s skills and limits; security, money, or the thrill of the deal.

Team agendas: The team as an entity has its own agendas. These may include competing for resources with other departments; competing for the attention and applause of senior management; hitting a tough deadline on time and on budget; or simply surviving to fight another day.

Organizational agendas: Most organizations exist for a higher purpose. That purpose may be to make money for stockholders, feed the hungry, provide health care, or loan money. Whatever the mission of the organization, that mission competes with both individual and team agendas for the time and energy of the group.

How to be a good follower.

Good followers separate their personal agendas from those of the team and organization. While leaders “set the agenda,” effective followers support the agenda of the team. If we are in the primary leadership role on a team, we have the responsibility to help the team come to a shared agreement about the agenda and direction of the group. If we are not in the primary leadership role, it is our job to participate in the consensus-building process, and support the consensus once reached. It is not our job, however, to try and control the agenda of the group towards our personal agendas, however well-intentioned.

An effective leader will make sure that the team agenda supports the organizational mission. He or she will then help team members make the connection between their own agendas and the team agenda. When those agendas align, work gets done. When those agendas conflict, team members invest themselves in political warfare, to the detriment of the organizational mission.

At one stage in my corporate career I lost sight of the need to put the team mission above my own agenda. Rather than exercise good “follower-ship”, I tried to control the agenda of the team. Today I realize that I was trying to “control” the situation because I felt insecure.

It would have been more useful for me to have tried to understand my boss’s priorities, and look for ways to support the agenda she set. If I had concerns, I certainly had the prerogative to raise them, but once the team reached consensus, I needed to get on board. I made the mistake of criticizing the team direction in both open and subtle ways.

A good follower embraces the concept of “enlightened self-interest.” When we serve the needs of others, we ultimately receive the greatest good for ourselves.

Here are some ideas for better “follower-ship”:

Learn to recognize when your own agendas are getting in the way of the mission of the organization.
Listen to the needs and priorities of your boss and coworkers.
Contribute your ideas, but ultimately you must support your boss’s agenda.
Support your boss and your team, in public and private, once the team agrees on a common set of goals.
Believe that your long-term interests are best served by serving the team, not yourself.

Gene C. Mage is a leadership Author, Speaker, and Syndicated Business Columnist. For free ideas for improving your leadership, visit www.makingitwork.com.