Followership - 10 SMART skills to become better people!

“How often do you hear people talk about leadership, take leadership training programs, and read leadership books? It seems that management is all about leadership these days. However, the reality is that most of us, including our leaders, practice more followership than leadership. I define followership as the willingness to follow not just a leader, but more than anything, a vision, a mission, an agreed upon plan. Bosses are not necessarily good leaders; subordinates are not necessarily effective followers. Good followership is characterized by active participation in the pursuit of organizational goals. It is not a mindless practice, but it demands constant course correction to make sure that despite obstacles, disagreements, and conflicts of opinions, once a decision is made, the whole organization follows. I have seen too many times, especially during digital transformation processes, intentional efforts to destabilize an agreed plan, just because one doesn't believe in it or worse, doesn’t want it to succeed. Followership demands humility, adaptability, and a healthy dose of emotional maturity, as it challenges the egos of most. In this chapter, I interview Dr. Hadija Mohd about her views on followership, a smart skill that she exhibits beautifully. Make sure to download the book: “The Job Is Easy, People Are Not! 10 SMART Skills to become better people! by Loredana Padurean