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PROMISCUITY FOR THE MIND
Music to Follow: When the saints go marching in Louis Armstrong; Badluram ka badan assam regiment; YouTube
A. Leaders Lead. Followers follow. If there are no followers what do leaders lead?
B. Followership is Critical.
C. Followership becomes critically important as organization size reaches ONE !
Leaders lead.
Followers follow.
And there is a world of emotions, value-judgments, desires, self-image, adrenaline and Alpha Male/Female postures associated with them both. It is commonly assumed that being a Leader implies Victory while being a Follower is some sort of insipid, second-tier choice for losers.
We sorely need a revision of these approaches. Followership is more, if not just as important as Leadership. Especially today. The age of Followership is upon us!
Here’s why “Followership” is critically important and hugely in demand today.
1. Followership is Mathematically Sound
On Tuesday 20 July, these were the hits on Google and Amazon.
World population: 7.8 billion
Search Results for Leadship: 2,500,000,000 Books on Leadership: 60,000+
Search results for Followership: 1,240,000 Books on Followership: 314
The Ratios of results and books: 2016:1 & 191:1. To put it in perspective if the entire population of the world was divided on this basis, then the world would be almost all leaders with a tiny, irrelevant bunch of followers.
Vast units of the society viz. Parents, Schools, Colleges, NGOs, Govts, Religious outfits… every institution, asks you to be a leader. Thousands of courses exist on leadership - none on followership. How is this even logical? Followership is mathematically sustainable.
2. Leadership for Leadership's sake is Irrelevant, in fact, dangerous
Examine driving behavior around the world, irrespective of the vehicle. Every driver wants to be a leader and decides his speed, sign/finger language, road & traffic rules, levels of entitlement/engagement and road rage, sometimes - indeed the side of the road to drive on. Total confusion results. The desire to lead where leadership is irrelevant can kill, literally.
At religious places where serenity is supposed to be the norm, the desire to lead without following rules leads to stampedes in which so many people are killed every year around the world.
On a more mundane level, the desire to buy groceries on one’s initiatives instead of from a list given by the family member in charge has wrecked many a marriage. Leadership and having ones' way here is irrelevant and can cause irreparable damage. In many situations, Leadership Adventures must be suspended in favor of serious Followership
3. Apprenticing as a Follower is a basis for Sound Leadership.
And this has to happen in sequence, logical sequence. Socks first and then shoes. Only good followers can eventually become good leaders. Even if they have attended Leadership Courses, especially with Animals like Wolves and Lions as exemplars.
Out of thousands of soldiers, one will become a general – guess which one, the one who has followed well
A Dollar is not a Dollar even if it is just one cent less. And each business is built dollar by dollar. The fantabulous, explosive IPO chimera is just that – a once in a lottery bet.
This "Apprenticeship" can be finessed only in ventures which are non-'evaluatable': Astrology, Consulting, Art and so on. In areas where there is quantifiable, objective criteria any lack of substantive skill acquired through years of followership shows up instantly: Woodworking, Teaching, Welding, Construction, Music, Sports and so on. Good Followers become Great Leaders
4. Followers can amplify results that build on the work and vision of leaders
The world speed record for human-powered bicycle riding is 296 kmph. Yes, 296 kmph. How? Denise Mueller Korenek rode in the slipstream of a drag racer on the Bonneville Salt Flats.
In science and technology too, breakthrough inventions and discoveries that take so much time, energy and other resources are quickly followed up with substantial market implementations. Of particular interest here are Generic drugs that are plentifully manufactured once the basic formulation is off-patent. Smart Followers amplify what Leaders have created.
5. Followership enables powerful, expert, oversight without which Leaders could scarcely operate.
The co-pilot often helps the Pilot of a plane to spot errors before they can cause damage. Of extraordinary import would be Aircraft Carrier Flight Operations at Sea. The 'Top Gun" pilots are surely extraordinary humans with spectacular training. But each one of them would readily admit that they simply would not be able to fly and land without a huge bunch of specialist assistants: handling munitions, fuel, traffic, safety, catapults, arrestors...
Top-Military snipers have a special spotter whose main job is to assure the sniper that his back is covered and reduces his anxiety! The spotter is a hugely trained combat soldier too who handles everything except the actual firing: observation, climactic factors, security, communication and even direct supporting fire from artillery and aircraft.
Every monarch had an advisor, an invaluable asset in times of distress. Mafia dons are reported to have a consigliere, advising them, able to offer lines of action, completely contrary to what the rest of the organization suggests. Followers through expertise and objectivity, power and empower Leaders.
Illustrations by Lloyd Lawrence Lobo. https://www.instagram.com/meterchai.
S. Ram Kumar is an Author, Speaker, Agent-Provocateur, UniCylist and Woodworker. lokilet@luckfogic.com
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