Building Followership: The Core to Successful Leadership

The pervasive use of the term “leadership” makes it feel like a buzzword which can make the concept seem less interesting. As a coach of leaders, I sometimes hear my clients lament that their previous coaches only guided them on what they did ineffectively rather than how to change that. Many leaders are uncertain how to adjust their demotivating leadership behaviors, so they keep repeating the same mistakes. I am creating this series around what is core to great leadership so when leaders ask themselves ‘What am I missing? What and how can I do things differently?’ the answers will be clear.

First up is the concept of high-impact leadership and what is core to that. World-renowned high-impact leaders, such as Alan Mulally and Frances Hesselbein are great examples of how organizations thrive when a leader creates a safe and trust-based environment, where employees operate from confidence rather than fear and want to do their best for their leader and their company. In these environments, employees feel included and knowledgeable about the ‘why’ behind the ‘what’ they are expected to deliver. The result is that everyone tends to ‘row in the same direction ’ and operate with more of a leadership mindset.

I have a personal example that brings this to light. In my early career as an employee at American Express, I had an insecure boss who frequently questioned my contributions in group settings. Naturally, this made me withdraw and ‘hold my tongue’ to avoid feeling embarrassed and undermined. Thankfully, my next boss at the company was Al Kelly, the current CEO of VISA. His high EQ, confidence (with a managed ego), and commitment to amplifying others led me to operate at my best. Under his leadership, I took more chances, introduced new ideas to our team, and grew my capabilities. Al’s approach engendered followership and greater employee engagement. The Gallup article entitled “Engaged Followership: The Foundation of Successful Leaders” digs more deeply into how and why engaged followership emerges and why it matters.

Next up in this series: Lead with humanity to stand out as one of the great leaders of our time.