Quality followship as a factor in effective leadership

This is an interesting blog post from Bestride Consulting Limited we were emailed at work today. It was written by Olusegun Olaiya, a Nigerian HR Management and Leadership Consultant. If you have any enquiries about the article, you can contact him at olusegunolaiya@bestrideconsulting.com.
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“Lead me, follow me, or get out of my way.”
Gen. George Patton, U.S. Army (1885-1945)

In most, if not in all cases we talk, write, read about our leaders on what they are and are not; what they have done and what they have not done. Even in the context of what they have done we often turn our searchlight on what they did right and what they did not do right. We praise, but in most cases we condemn them and their actions. We are quick at highlighting the qualities of effective leaders at the exclusion of effective and formidable followers. In all these, we have conveniently forgotten that a society deserves the kind of leaders it gets. In other words, there is a direct correlation between the qualities of the followers and the qualities of the leaders in society.

Taking Nigeria for instance, we cry of corruption on the parts of our leaders at various levels in the private and public sectors. How many of us crying foul can confidently come out to say he has challenged any of the leaders being accused, either directly or indirectly. Such courageous people are few. I mean every word of that sentence. Let us test the validity or otherwise of this assertion now by attempting to answer the under listed questions:

1. How many of us today actually got our driver’s license by going through the normal official procedures?
2. How many of us have been able to challenge the extortions of the Police and other law enforcement agents at the road blocks?
3. How many Nigerian parents can today allow their children to go through the rigours of sitting, writing and passing WAEC and NECO without hiring ‘mercenaries’ to take the burden off their children?
4. How many salary earners (private and public) who are living in their own houses can confidently say that they built those mansions from their meager salaries and not from bribes and kickbacks taken from innocent people (if at all they are innocent)?
5. How many Nigerian families will support any of their members who are in government but has chosen not to take bribes/kickbacks from government contractors?
6. How many Nigerian would see a fellow Nigerian knocked down by a hit and run driver and pick him/her to the hospital for treatment?
7. How many Nigerians are honest and sincere in very little things at individual and family levels?

We can go on and on, but I have answer. The answers to the questions will be the same, ‘Very few’.

Most African nations were made up of largely timid and gullible population to provide give strong challenge the despots and dictators whose reigns can best be described as reigns of terror and impoverishment. So this set of leaders handed down to the helpless people they were suppose to protect and provide for poverty, insecurity, starvation, civil wars, etc. A properly groomed followership posing consistent challenge and check on the leadership would have given rise to better outcome. This scenario is not limited to leaders at corporate levels; it is fairly replicated in the corporate sectors where many hitherto vibrant organizations have been brought down.

What this means is that the society as whole lacks the moral structures to produce quality leaders to steer the affairs of the nation. The so called leaders were born and bred from among the followers. They were once followers. But since the supporting moral structures are to mould the characters of the leaders in their hay days are lacking, it is not surprising therefore that the leaders are finding difficult it to get it right.

If we must get it right at the level of followership, we must strive to take on those qualities we expect the leaders to have. Among others such qualities include, but not restricted to the following:

1. Self-respect;
2. Respect for others;
3. The ability to communicate well;
4. Integrity of character;
5. Humility;
6. Courage;
7. Persistence;
8. Dedication;
9. Commitment;
10. Willingness to accept responsibility; and
11. Decisiveness.

We must live these ideals if we must bring to an end poor followership and ultimately leadership. Followers in many of the societies we want ours to emulate got to where they are because followers lived, are living and will continue to live the ideals enumerated above. It will start with an individual through family and the entire fulcrum of the society. Some of the societies where the followers have demonstrated their collective resolve to oust bad leadership include some of the following:

1. South Africa – The Blacks fought hard to resist the apartheid regime with its attendant racial practices. They eventually won and we have the new South Africa
2. Egypt & Other Arab Neighbours – Obviously dissatisfied with despotic rules, people staged some of the most powerful protests in history against their governments. Consequently, Presidents in Tunisia and Egypt have been forced to out of power. Heads of Governments in Libya, Yemen, and Syria and may soon be sent packing.

These are clear indications that the followers can actually achieve their dreams if the will is there. The present crop of leadership will not change unless they are challenged from the bottom up. The leaders must be held accountable and responsible for their actions or inactions as they impact on the lives of the people being led.