The lack of demand for followership
Leadership can take you to some fantastic places. Leadership can take you to some scary places. I don t believe there is a failure in leadership. I believe there is a failure in leaders who take the courage to make a stand and lead in the right direction. I can get anybody to follow me as long as I speak what they want to hear.
It is more of a challenge to get people to follow you when they don t know what to think about what they are hearing or worse you are saying what they do not want to hear. People who can motivate followers to the right action in uncertainty have real leadership ability. ILLYSA IZENBERG INSTRUCTOR STRATEGY TRAININGBrazil Phone Number List PARTNERS LLC AND SEVERAL UNIVERSITIES response to Gerald Nanninga I like your company name I agree that if we taught followership how to be a team citizen how to coach your peers how to be a direct report how to coach your boss how to support your boss how to influence without authority leadership would be far more productive.
While one reason that we don t teach followership may be that leaders make more money I think it is more likely caused by the lack of demand for a followership class. When my university changed my course title from management communication to leadership management communication enrollment grew dramatically. Everyone wants a leadership course few people want a management course. And corporate clients want leadership courses too. training may result from the over promotion of the idea that managers do things right and leaders do the right things. |