Followership
There is a lot of emphasis in our
society on leadership. It seems to me that about half a jillion books have been
written by coaches, and military officers about leadership. After all, who knows more about
leadership than men and women who sit on the sidelines and send others into the
game or into the war? Some such
authors were obviously leaders and others, despite their conceit, were not.
I have long believed that the value
of helping others achieve their goals has been under-valued way of
co-operatively working toward my own goals. I’ve worked with a number of people
who thought they were leaders because they were loud or abrasive and who were,
in my opinion, more of a hindrance than a help in getting anything actually
done. I’ve also worked for bosses who appreciated my efforts to make them look
good, which, in turn, helped me look good. Sometimes in jobs people with little or no executive power
in their job description such as secretaries or assistants, are the ones who
keep the enterprise going.
I have been impressed by writers as
a group. Well-known authors and
agents have been very helpful to me and generous with their time. I try to pass the favors on to
others.
I don’t know of much research on
followership. It is reported that on
the eve of the battle at Waterloo, the commander of the English forces, the Duke
of Wellington and his aides walked through the English campgrounds. He pointed
toward an individual soldier saying that one soldier would have more effect on
the outcome of the coming battle than Wellington, himself, would.
Has supporting others helped you
attain your goals?
My mother’s father, who I died before I was born, told her that on any occasion she should be either a good leader or a good follower. She passed that wisdom onto us children, to which I would only add that you also need to understand in which situations you need to lead or follow.
ReplyDelete~ Jim
No one leads or follows in a vacuum. This is something I've seen so often in working with writing and directing drama productions. It's a coordinated effort. Sometimes knowing when to get out of other people's creative way is the most valuable asset. Thanks for the thoughtful message, Warren.
ReplyDeleteExcellent blog, Warren, and thought provoking. I wonder if in the past those who led were almost always men because they were louder and assumed a tough guy stance. In truth, the true leaders are those who are perceptive and realize those under them are valuable participants. I think one of the reasons Lincoln is still considered a great leader is because he had those positive attributes.
ReplyDeleteGood point, Jim. Your grandmother was a wise woman.
ReplyDeleteTheatre is a great example of coordinated efforts, Paula.
ReplyDeleteGloria, Lincoln is one of my heroes,
ReplyDeleteFrom my standpoint as a writer, I have been helped by other well-known authors on several occasion with book blurbs and reviews and tried to do the same for others by reviewing books and encouraging beginning writers, also doing interviews with other writers.
ReplyDeleteI've tried to support other authors by promoting their books. Some of those authors have steered me to markets for my shorts that I wouldn't have otherwise known about. When we all help each other it is a win-win situation. Sometimes followers become leaders and at another point in time the leaders become followers. I think the hierarchy isn't important as much as being able to play both roles and appreciating each position. Without followers, there are no leaders.
ReplyDeleteA friend of mine, applying to college,decided to be honest. When asked if she was a leader, she replied that no, she wasn't...but she was a pretty good follower. She was accepted. A note from the registrar came with it. "I think," he wrote, "that in a class of 100% leaders, we could really use one follower."
ReplyDeleteCaroline. LOL
ReplyDeleteWarren,
ReplyDeleteThought-provoking blog.
try to help other writers and other writers help me. We do this when we share information re marketing and publishers, and when we feature each other on our blogs. I think all this has helped me as a writer. The best part is I've made friends along the way.
I founded the Grace Awards three years ago to help expand the scope of Christian fiction and to get the opinion of Christian readers into the fray.
ReplyDeleteIt has been one of the most exhilerating and energizing things I've ever done. I found Christian readers desperately wanted to read works that would never make it onto the average Christian bookstore's shelf...and up to that point those titles would also never be considered in traditional Christian literary contests.
And contrary to what nay sayers in the establishment warned, Christian readers were able to pick well written books.
In this way, I've helped little known Christian writers who are talented and who have penned excellent and interesting stories come a tad more to the forefront. It's been a very interesting ride.
For anyone who wants to know more about the Grace Awards: http://graceawardsdotorg.wordpress.com/