Leading by Following

Dan was a rising leader in his school.  After successfully teaching students in the classroom for many years with a mind toward creativity and innovation for how students learned, he was given the opportunity to assume the role of division head at his school.  As the new leader of students and teachers, he was eager to put his ideas to work.  As an instinctive thought leader, the ideas were continuously churning.  

Pat, his seasoned Head of School, seemed eager to move the school in a new direction and as such, appeared to welcome new and innovative ideas on how to improve student performance and engagement. Dan appeared to be the perfect fit to lead this initiative. Over time, however, Dan became frustrated in his new role. 

Pat frequently resisted Dan’s ideas, often with no explanation. Perhaps it was a matter of ego, mistrust or a need to micromanage. It’s not that Dan and his colleagues couldn’t discuss things at their weekly team meetings.  They did and often were encouraged to do so.  But the good ideas Dan developed got little traction.  There was much talk but very little action.  After several years of putting forth new ideas and working diligently to improve the school, Dan decided it was time to move on.  He was able to find another setting that allowed his ideas to flourish; for him and for his new school.

The disconnect between Dan and Pat is not unusual in schools and in many other organizations.  It’s often a case of leaders not recognizing the need to develop skills of “followership.”  In their book, “Leadership is Half the Story”, authors Marc and Samantha Hurwitz outline the importance that followership plays in the makeup of successful organizations.  They make the case for integrating the notions of leadership, followership and partnership into the life of a dynamic and successful organization.  “All of us lead...and all of us follow,” say the authors.  “In great collaborations, one moment we are leading and then we flip to following.  The relationship between leadership and followership is dynamic and ever-evolving.”  

From this perspective, leadership is something that involves everyone.  The authors develop the notion that following is necessary, even from those whose title and position designate them as the leader.  “This”, they say, “enables greater collaboration and leads to healthier and more humanely functioning organizations.”  

Perhaps Dan, Pat and their team could have engaged in a longer, more successful tenure with each other if Pat had heeded this followership advice.  Had he realized that a good leader is one who collaborates, seeks input, allows others to step up with their skills and ideas, he likely could have retained Dan as a valuable member of the team, moving forward together to create and innovate new life into the school.

Hurwitz likens these situations to the dynamics of a dance.  “Can you imagine a choreographer only training one dancer to lead while the partner sits in the lobby staring at the wall?”  Dan is doing well at his new school.  He continues to generate good ideas and implement new ways for students to excel.  Pat, however, continues to struggle to find the right dance partners.  His inability to follow lies at the core. As such, the effectiveness of his leadership is diminished.

At the end of the day, how will you choreograph your leadership dance; finding the right balance between leading, following and collaborating?