6-Followership

I have been a follower in large and small groups and organizations. And I have been privileged to lead groups of all sizes—some in the thousands. Here are six things I have learned in my eight decades on this planet.

· Be a servant. You can’t be a servant leader if you don’t first serve as a follower.

· Be humble. Do not make the light shine on you, but on others in the organization. Strive to make the leader and the organization look good. Your efforts will be rewarded.

· Be loyal. This does not mean you can’t question or disagree with leaders. But do it in private, not in public. This lesson was embedded deeply in me as a civilian who for 25 years worked in a military setting. It was there I learned I could express my concerns and suggestions in private to capable supervisors. But when the supervisor made the final decision, I said “Yes, ma’am” or “Yes, sir.”

· Be discrete. A favorite saying in World War II was, “Loose lips sink ships.” Know how to keep your mouth shut. This also means to be careful about what you write. Hastily sent emails, texts, and messages on social media may come back to haunt you and those around you.

· Be proactive. Proactive followers are energetic, hard-working, dynamic, able to look ahead, and always willing to do more than asked of them. But a word of caution: don’t overstep your bounds. Embrace your role as a follower.

· Be a lifelong learner. Learn from your own successes and failures and from those of your leaders and other followers. Learning enhances your competence as a follower and as a leader.

Others can add suggestions based on their experiences as both leaders and followers. And you should develop your own list. These are six things I have learned. And I am still learning how to follow and also how to lead more effectively.