Tag: followership

Encouraging Ownership

by A.H., posted in reflections, study04, study05

One sentiment that has led to unhelpful division between leadership and followership is to believe that leaders are the ones who have (and sell) the vision, while followers are the ones who work to fulfill it.

When the organization’s leadership is setup as the only ones through whom vision can flow (I was part of one such organization), there is an inherent disempowering of followers, and an implicit message that vision–and thus the ultimate driving force behind any endeavor–is the purview of the leaders alone. Continue reading “Encouraging Ownership” →

A Critical Oversight in ‘Team’

by A.H., posted in reflections, study01, study12

It’s often said: There’s no ‘I’ in ‘team’. When we think about team, we’re supposed to think about the collective unit, a group joined together, without individual ambitions getting in the way.

But, we don’t actually do that.

Nor should we. Continue reading “A Critical Oversight in ‘Team’” →

Sheep & Sheepdogs

by A.H., posted in analogies, study02, study07, study12

Given the option of being labeled a sheep or a sheepdog, which would you rather be?

Being called a sheep is perhaps the most common negative image of followership–often intended to portray mindlessness, weakness, simplicity.

Who wouldn’t rather be a powerful and productive sheepdog? Continue reading “Sheep & Sheepdogs” →

Excerpt: No Leader is an Island

by A.H., posted in excerpt, news

A sample chapter of Embracing Followership has just been released!

You can find “Chapter 24: Displaying Dependence” available as a standalone article on this external website: https://www.biblicalleadership.com/blogs/no-leader-is-an-island/ Continue reading “Excerpt: No Leader is an Island” →

1st Anniversary Giveaway!

by A.H., posted in news

In celebration of the 1st anniversary of publication (Feb 24), there are 3 signed copies of Embracing Followership up for grabs! Enter through this Goodreads giveaway between February 18-26, 2017! (sorry, giveaway now closed) Continue reading “1st Anniversary Giveaway!” →

Significance: From Potential to Participation

by A.H., posted in reflections, study02, study12

In our exploration of followership, we have oftentimes addressed the aspect of identity: followership is not merely an occupation, but a deeper part of who we are and what we have to offer.

Having a firm grasp on one’s identity is extremely valuable; being able to clearly answer the question “Who am I?” provides an important resource for participating with excellence and making your necessary contributions.

But there is an additional question to address. Continue reading “Significance: From Potential to Participation” →

Followership Follow-Up

by A.H., posted in news

Just a quick ‘news blurb’ to say that I’ve recently begun working on a companion resource for Embracing Followership. The content is in development and I’m excited to share more details with you soon; I’m planning to have an initial sample off to the publisher by the end of this week! You can look forward to new material & resources to help you explore additional dimensions of your followership! Continue reading “Followership Follow-Up” →

No Ambition for Position

by A.H., posted in questions, reflections, study02, study04

As 2016 closes out, it’s a common consideration to look ahead at 2017 and to think about plans, desires, and dreams for what next year will bring. Opportunities, changes, achievements…the clean slate of a new year seems to welcome them all.

“New Year’s Resolutions” are part and parcel of this season as well. What commitments will we make in order to best position ourselves to take advantage of the possibilities for the new calendar year? How will we motivate ourselves to be what we know we can be and do what we hope we can do? Continue reading “No Ambition for Position” →

What does it mean to be excellent?

by A.H., posted in reflections, study02, study06

I write frequently about the idea of excellence. Throughout my book Embracing Followership, I emphasize that what we’re after is excellent followership—not mere followership, or mediocre followership, or satisfactory followership. Excellent.

Let’s consider for a moment this idea of excellence. Continue reading “What does it mean to be excellent?” →

Leadership Lesson for Encouraging Excellent Followership #4

by A.H., posted in excerpt, reflections, study06, study09

What is the ultimate aim of your leadership? There are a variety of tasks that fit under the classic definitions of leadership–making decisions, exerting influence, improving efficiency, increasing profits–but none of these capture what I believe to be at the heart of excellent leadership.

Excellent leadership fosters excellent followership. Continue reading “Leadership Lesson for Encouraging Excellent Followership #4” →

Leadership Lesson for Encouraging Excellent Followership #3

by A.H., posted in excerpt, reflections, study08, study09

Question: do your followers have a seat at the table? Is their potential for contribution being inhibited by always receiving their information through your personal filters? Are the gaps in your perspective leaving out relevant details, dismissing valuable courses of action, and leading to missed opportunities to anticipate needs and take next steps? Continue reading “Leadership Lesson for Encouraging Excellent Followership #3” →

Leadership Lesson for Encouraging Excellent Followership #2

by A.H., posted in excerpt, reflections, study10, study12

As a leader, there are a number of things one can do to facilitate excellent followership. We previously looked at “displaying dependence” as one critical aspect for opening the doorway to trust and soliciting the best contributions from your followers. Today, we consider establishing the environment.

Establishing the Environment. Teams and organizations have their own cultures, and one of the values of culture is in providing norms for interaction and expectations. Culture operates on a number of levels: broad national cultures create one layer of expectation, but those expectations and the nature of relationships become further refined (for example) at the state level, the organizational level, the department level, etc. There are layers and layers of culture that feed into the environment within which a given team operates.

It is the duty of the leader to intentionally establish that environment in such a way that it promotes, expects, and relies upon excellent followership.

What are some environmental/cultural factors that a leader needs to consider? Continue reading “Leadership Lesson for Encouraging Excellent Followership #2” →