Followership
Definition
Followership refers to “how well followers follow leadership.” (Satterlee, 2009) Summary Jim Covel the Current. Sr. Manager, Guest Experience at Monterey Bay Aquarium; wrote a great illustration of the importance of Followership. While observing a large school of sardines he was asked by a guest, is there a leader among the thousands of little fish? His reply was yes, but it always changes depending on the circumstances that surround the school; they must remain in a constant state of following whoever is leading them and if they don’t follow him, he is no longer their leader. As a fish senses the shifting of the tide or that food is close; we as humans reply on ongoing communication from our leaders to understand what it is we are running after, what our goals are as a company. Discussion I find the idea of followship fascinating; it’s not a common practice to talk about the importance of followers because they tend to be looked at as replaceable. In my experience, if someone is not willing to follow a leader or manager, it was almost always their fault and were most often let go. But once upper management saw a consistent pattern then the manager or leader was evaluated. “ Leaders and leadership are defined by the followers.” (Covel, 2011) if management today really understood the power they would have by simply empowering their people to make the call on certain things and within guidelines. Just like that school of fish, not only would they prove to be a good leader but they would have the loyalty of the people they lead. A large group of sardines looks a whole lot bigger than one sardine all by itself. “ You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again” Matt 5:13. (Keeping with the sardine theme). A good leader is like salt; their main agenda is to bring out the best in the people they are mixed with. A good strong leader will stand out on their own, and maybe even be a little abrasive, but when mixed with the right balance
