Many years ago, I decided to change things up a little in my critical thinking class. I was growing impatient with all the emphasis on leadership as an educational buzzword – leadership conferences, leadership courses, leadership seminars, leadership development, and so on. I began to wonder about followers. What would leaders be without followers? So, I suggested the class put aside thinking about what makes a good leader for a day and instead discuss what might make a good follower. I received a lot of strange looks, but I was used to these, so I forged ahead.
It turned out that the class was able to touch on many aspects of being a good follower, and by the end of the period most were on board with my notion that followership doesn’t get enough attention. No one, not even those with more authoritarian tendencies, seemed comfortable with the notion that the leader is always right, much less that we should follow our country, “right or wrong.” G.K. Chesterton famously wrote, “My country, right or wrong is a thing that no patriot would think of saying except in a desperate case. It is like saying, My mother, drunk or sober.” A good follower would not follow others blindly. As my mother might have asked, “Would you jump off a cliff just because everybody else did?”
We talked about good followers seeking a balance between support and skepticism, asking relevant questions, pointing out alternatives, helping leaders do the right thing, and holding them accountable when they do wrong. In 1871, Senator Shurz said, “My country, right or wrong; if right, to be kept right; and if wrong, to be set right.” Granted, loyalty is important, but we should remember the words of General George S. Patton: “There’s a great deal of talk about loyalty from the bottom to the top. Loyalty from the top down is even more necessary and is much less prevalent. One of the most frequently noted characteristics of great men who have remained great is loyalty to their subordinates.” These are the ideas some in the class shared in their own words.
My father told me a story about an incident that happened during some labor unrest. Dad had been practicing “management by walking around” long before In Search of Excellence was published. That day, one of the workers who liked and respected my dad approached him as he walked through the shop. The man said, “Don’t worry Mr. Murray, if anyone tries anything, I’ll hit him with whatever I have in my hand.” The man had a heart of gold, a hefty Jack Reacher build, and often carried around steel wrenches the length of his arm. Dad quietly thanked him for his offer and told him he didn’t want him to do that. Besides, he didn’t think the situation called for violence, which of course it didn’t. I think dad told me this story to make an important point.
There are leaders who appreciate strong loyalty, but resist calling on it. Dad had visions of “Jack” crushing someone’s skull. Further, he didn’t want to see anyone get hurt or Jack spend time in jail. He understood that sometimes loyalty can go horribly wrong.
There are also leaders who revel in their followers’ loyalty and won’t hesitate to use it. They get a little too much gratification from watching people follow their orders. “Look what I can make them do!” is in their minds, no matter who might get hurt or what might go wrong.
A good leader builds loyalty but never uses it recklessly or for selfish reasons. A good follower must recognize what kind of leader they have – one who would revel in their obedience or one who would resist the temptation to exploit their loyalty. We should follow leaders who have our best interests in mind and reject narcissists and self-serving strong men. That is the meaning of followership.
MurrayWorks 