Followers as Leaders

Barbara Kellerman, a Lecturer in public leadership at Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government made the following comments about followers " while they may lack authority, at least in comparison with their superiors, followers do not lack power and influence."

The book MGMT by Chuck Williams, talks about how "as more organizations become flatter, or adopt less hierarchical organizational structures, it is becoming increasingly clear that leaders and followers are dependent on one another" (pg 256) It then goes on to discuss how their are five different types of followers, and how leaders need to understand what type of followers they have.

When I was growing up my dad use to to always tell me "don't be a follower, be a leader", as a 6 yr old I wasn't QUITE sure what this meant. My father taught this to me by showing me that instead of following what everybody else was doing, I could break away from the crowd and lead my own way. In High School and in College I was awarded with leadership awards, and participated in leadership camps. At every leadership event, it was seemed to believe that the group of us "chosen"leaders would lead and when we got back to our sports teams/clubs/school---they would follow us. However, I agree with the book that followers and leaders are dependent on each other. Followers are more outgoing, putting the idea out there, but if there is nobody following that idea, than really ...who are they leading? Same goes for followers, they need to have somebody that motivates them, that say something, or has a plan that they want to emulate.

I think there is a very close connection to followers and leaders...which type are you?