5 Reasons Followership Makes A Great Leader
Being a great leader isn’t always about how you act at the front of the pack. In many ways, it is just as important to learn how to be a better follower. Regardless of the size of your company or the number of people you lead, here are five reasons that followership is important.
1. Better Understand Your People
A common problem leaders face is a lack of genuine connection and understanding of the people they lead. It is easier than it seems to be out of touch when you are used to a completely different perspective.
This leads to a reciprocal process of leadership that makes for stronger bonds and loyalty. It also helps you understand the needs of your people so that you can make sure they are properly addressed and maximize efficiency and morale.
2. Well-Rounded Leadership
The most effective leadership is one that comes from hard work in a variety of different ways. For example, you could master the area of public speaking, but that hardly covers all your bases when aiming to be an effective leader.
Knowing how to be a good follower is one of these bases because it helps you to understand what you need to look for in your own followers. Blindly wondering why you aren’t getting the results you want doesn’t address the root of the problems, but knowing the cause behind the issues will.
3. Balancing Power and Influence
Power and influence come in a variety of different forms and from many different places. Learning how to find proper balance in these areas will make a significant difference in your ability to connect with your people and lead in a more inspiring manner.
The best way to achieve this balance is to focus on your personal power rather than positional power. This means leading from your own confidence and abilities rather than leaning on the power and authority that comes with a position of leadership.
4. Enrich Your Experience
The best leaders come from a background of thorough, personal experience. The best way to understand what you are asking of people is to know what that work and mission require.
Just like you are able to better understand what your people need when you experience their perspective, you will also be able to understand the best practices when you have experience in the work being done. A teacher will struggle to teach a subject they have never studied, and a leader will struggle to lead a team through work they’ve never done.
5. Never Forget to Lead with Good Intent
If you are acting with genuine intent to serve others and promote their wellbeing, you are already ahead of the game. Good intent is something that many leaders forget along the way as they are caught up with all the other important elements of leadership.
If you can maintain sincerity as you lead your people, you can count on a degree of loyalty born from a reciprocal process of leadership.
For more helpful leadership tips and resources, contact The People Institute today. We understand the importance of teamwork in effective leadership, and we are here to help your team with comprehensive professional training.