Great Followers Make Great Leaders

It seems to me that all posts about leadership these days focus on what makes leaders great. The fact is that the best leaders can’t achieve squat without a great group of followers. I have had the privilege of leading many great organizations and I could never have achieved anything if it wasn't for some great people who were willing to be great followers. These great followers are not lemmings, they are those dedicated employees from the rank and file that get the job done effectively and efficiently, day-in and day-out. So what makes great followers? Here is my top 10:

1. Listen

Great followers know how to listen to their leaders. But listen does not mean being passive - far from it. Effective listeners do so actively and seek to understand what the strategy is trying to accomplish and how to best accomplish it. They ask pertinent questions and don’t leave anything unclear.

2. Question

My best followers were never afraid to question. Their active listening skills made for some great sources of insights. They understood the need for healthy debate and made sure they raised issues that needed to be raised to ensure we arrived at the best decisions.

3. Voice of Customer

The people that I have worked with that were most valuable were those that knew how to speak on behalf of customers. They were the voice of the customers and if any decision would result in upsetting customers, they would step in and make sure it didn’t happen. And if it had to be done, they would insist on a customer management and communication plan to soften the blow.

4. Sense of Urgency

The top followers that I have worked with displayed a sense of urgency by quickly getting behind the initiative. This does not mean that they ran around frantically all the time, but they took on their action items and made sure they delivered them in the most effective manner.

5. Ownership

The subordinates that took ownership of what we were trying to achieve always seem to be on top of the high performers list. Once the listening, questioning, and debating was over, they got down to business and made sure to move things forward.

6. Engaged

Good followers are engaged and are excited about what the team is trying to accomplish. They get behind the strategy and make it happen. Even if they disagree with some aspects of it, they never show it and certainly never mention it to their subordinates. Once the decision has been taken, they get behind it and demonstrate engagement.

7. Engaging

Great followers can engage others. Some do it overtly and with great fanfare, but that does not mean that they are all extroverts being cheerleaders. Those that are introverts also engage their peers with their quiet leadership and hard work.

8. Values

My top performers were always those that displayed great individual and team values. They not only lived our corporate values but added great individual ones as well, starting with trustworthiness.

9. Positive Influencers

My best followers were always those that had positive discussions at lunch or around the water cooler. It doesn't mean that they were naïve or blind to business challenges, but instead of complaining they turned discussions into solutions and made sure those ideas for solutions were communicated to the decision makers.

10. Lead

Finally, great followers display their own brand of leadership. If they are more senior in the organization, they take the strategy and develop their own tactical plans to ensure their teams are aligned. If they are lower in the organizational hierarchy they get their teams mobilized, and if they are individual performers, they lead by example. Whatever their role, they display leadership by living the strategy and doing their part to deliver on the business objectives.

Be on the lookout for your best followers. Chances are they are your next great leaders.