The Silent Partner of Leadership
When a crisis strikes, you need a key to surviving a crisis. The spotlight naturally shifts to leaders—their decisions, actions, and ability to inspire during turbulent times. That’s why strong leadership is important in a crisis. Leadership, however, is only part of the equation. What’s often overlooked is the critical role of followers in crisis, the people who take a leader’s vision and bring it to life. Throughout history, strong, effective followership has quietly turned the tide during moments of upheaval.
Take the Dunkirk evacuation during World War II. While Winston Churchill’s leadership is rightly celebrated, the unsung heroes were the “little ships” civilian crews who courageously braved enemy fire to rescue stranded soldiers. Their collective effort exemplified the power of followership in a crisis.
Understanding the Role of Silent Partner
If you’re interested in diving deeper into this dynamic, books like The Art of Followership: How Great Followers Create Great Leaders and Organizations by Ronald E. Riggio and Ira Chaleff offer invaluable insights into why followership matters and how it can be cultivated.
In this blog, we’ll explore why followership is essential during crises, the traits that make it effective, and how leaders and organizations can cultivate it to build resilience and ensure success.
What is Follwership?
Followership is not passive obedience or blind loyalty. On the contrary, strong followership is characterized by active participation, critical thinking, and the ability to adapt quickly. In a crisis, these traits create a backbone of stability and effectiveness that allows leadership to flourish.
A compelling example is NASA’s Apollo 13 mission. When an oxygen tank exploded onboard the spacecraft, jeopardizing the lives of the astronauts, the mission’s survival hinged on the ground crew’s ability to work under pressure. These engineers and scientists—followers in the hierarchy—designed innovative solutions to bring the astronauts home safely, demonstrating the critical role of followership in overcoming extraordinary challenges.
For readers inspired by these real-life examples, L. David Marquet’s Turn the Ship Around!: A True Story of Turning Followers into Leaders is an excellent resource. It explores how fostering empowerment and responsibility in followers can lead to extraordinary success.
Why Is Followership Important to Leaders?
Followership is an essential component of effective leadership. Exceptional followers contribute significantly to a leader’s success, as they share key traits supporting individual and team performance. Proactive engagement is crucial; rather than waiting for direction, these followers anticipate potential issues and actively seek solutions.
Critical thinking further strengthens followership, as strong followers assess situations thoughtfully, ask insightful questions, and offer constructive feedback when needed.
Key to Surviving a Crisis
Exceptional followers share key traits that enable them to perform under pressure:
- Proactive Engagement: They don’t wait for instructions but anticipate problems and seek solutions.
- Critical Thinking: Strong followers evaluate situations, ask questions, and provide constructive feedback when needed.
- Trustworthiness: Effective followers build mutual trust with their leaders by consistently delivering results.
- Resilience: They remain focused and composed, even in the face of uncertainty or adversity.
To understand how these traits interact with leadership, consider reading Simon Sinek’s Leaders Eat Last: Why Some Teams Pull Together and Others Don’t. It highlights how trust and collaboration between leaders and followers create strong teams that can weather any crisis.
The Symbiotic Relationship Between Leaders and Followers
Leadership and followership are two sides of the same coin. Effective leaders recognize that their success depends on the strength of their followers. Similarly, effective followers understand that their role supports, challenges, and amplifies the leader’s vision.
For instance, healthcare workers exemplified this relationship during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. At the same time, policymakers and hospital administrators provided directives, but the dedication of frontline workers—the nurses, doctors, and support staff—saved lives. Their ability to follow protocols, adapt to rapidly changing circumstances, and communicate needs was critical in navigating the crisis.
Why Understanding the Leader and Follower Relationship Matters
If you’re intrigued by how these dynamics manifest in healthcare, Team of Teams: New Rules of Engagement for a Complex World by General Stanley McChrystal is a must-read. It explores how adaptability and collaboration among teams—including followers—can drive success in chaotic situations.
Also, read more about how leaders foster an environment where followers feel safe contributing.
Cultivating Strong Followership
Organizations that value followership can build a culture of resilience by:
- Fostering Open Communication: Encouraging followers to voice their ideas, concerns, and feedback without fear of reprisal.
- Providing Training Opportunities: Equipping followers with the skills to make decisions and act effectively under pressure.
- Recognizing Contributions: Celebrating the achievements of individuals and teams who play vital roles behind the scenes.
- Building Mutual Trust: The question always arises: What is the relationship between leaders and followers? It’s an environment where both leaders and followers feel respected and valued.
For actionable strategies to build these capabilities, The Leadership Challenge: How to Make Extraordinary Things Happen in Organizations by James Kouzes and Barry Posner offers practical insights into inspiring followers to reach their full potential.
Strategies for Leaders and Followers
Leaders’ key to navigating crises lies in empowering their followers. Trust, transparency, and collaboration are essential. Leaders who listen, provide clear direction, and build a shared purpose will inspire followers to rise to the occasion.
For followers, embracing their role as active participants can make all the difference. Effective followers ensure that leadership efforts translate into meaningful outcomes, whether by solving problems, supporting their peers, or challenging the status quo when necessary.
To explore the psychology behind these interactions, Patrick Lencioni’s The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable is a powerful resource that sheds light on how teamwork—driven by effective followership—can thrive even in adversity.
Celebrating the Unsung Heroes
In every crisis, there is a symbiotic dance between leadership and followership. While leaders often receive the credit, history teaches us that the collective effort of capable, courageous followers drives success.
From the beaches of Dunkirk to the challenges of modern workplaces, strong followership remains the foundation of effective leadership. As we face new crises in an unpredictable world, let’s celebrate leaders and recognize the unsung heroes who make their visions possible.
After all, outstanding leadership is impossible without great followership.
Are you curious to dive deeper? Explore the books highlighted in this blog to enhance your leadership, followership, and teamwork knowledge.
Have questions or need guidance? Contact us for expert advice, practical solutions, and inspiring insights tailored to help you overcome challenges and succeed. We’re here to support you every step of the way—don’t hesitate to get in touch!
