Fast cars; fast gadgets; high-speed internet; fast food; fast money…
It seems people in the 21st century – young people in particular – cannot get enough speed. Impatience appears to be our newfound virtue and wherever it is we’re going, it’s paramount that we get there fast.
This is not just about speed, it’s about the fact that more than ever before, young people want to lead. We feel there’s a leadership vacuum in various spheres – which we rightly ought or need to fill. However, we don’t just want to be leaders, we want to be the leader and we want to be that leader now!
I’m of the opinion that this might be a bit problematic and it’s because the above idea seems to be borne out of two main fallacies in our contemporary culture:
1) You must be in charge to lead.
2) The leader is the most important person on the team.
These fallacies seem to ignore crucial questions. If we all want to lead, who will follow? Why hasn’t it occurred to us that we can lead without being ‘in charge? Why haven’t we realised that those in charge in some respects are also followers of others that they learn from? Are some of us truly ready to be in charge?
These are questions we should ask ourselves while looking inwards. Why can’t we be good followers? It’s important to understand our role in any team we find ourselves in. It’s also a very humbling experience because understanding the importance of following only creates a healthier environment for leadership. In every team/group, there’s a designated leader and several key followers – untitled leaders (and opinion leaders) who ‘hold things down’, make running the team easier and unite the team under the leader towards a powerful cause.
How do I know this? It’s because more than one boss has told me that I’m a pretty good follower, even though they think I could be more. I’ve also realised that I’m quite approachable and people from time to time, ask for clarification on certain things, Yes, they’ve seen the email but they still want to hear from someone if there are any nuances they may have missed. In other words, I’ve always been following and doing my best at being a supporting striker.
Some of us aren’t ready for that big shot but we shouldn’t stop being good followers while growing. The awesome part is that we can still lead while following too. Here are a few practical things I’ve realised in this regard:
Be an early adopter.
Affirming the boss’ decisions will increase their authority. This doesn’t mean you unquestioningly accept everything they say, but it means you don’t talk behind their back or act like you always know better. When you buy in, everyone else most likely will.
Spread positive energy.
Don’t just point out problems and complain about how things are not going right. When things aren’t going how you feel they should see it as an opportunity to offer solutions and add value to the team outside of decision-making.
Make the leader look good.
Support the leader’s decision; you might need to really commit to going out of your way to ensure that the leader’s laid out plans work, even if you may have done things differently.
Honour the boss whether they’re there or not.
Public endorsement earns you private influence. Genuinely praise the leader in public and show that you are behind their cause. This will build trust, causing your opinion to carry more weight with the leader. This doesn’t necessarily mean you’re a sycophant.
In a lot of ways, it’s no longer about how old you are but how capable and creative you are. For young people like us, that’s good news, but we must be ready; leading while following is one such way to get started.
