Short: Be a Good Follower
I used to think the most prestigious seat in any group was the leader’s.
They get the fame. The reputation. The spotlight. The glory. And I watched a lot of people land in that seat who… weren’t actually trained for it. They’d been promoted, elected, or just loud enough to end up there — and then the whole team had to live inside whatever that person was or wasn’t ready to hold.
I’m not usually trying to be that person. I want to change systems from the inside… without needing the crown. In most rooms, I don’t want the crown.
What I didn’t understand for a long time is that being a good follower is harder than being a good leader.
A team with a bad leader and good followers will usually end up in a better place than a team with a good leader and bad followers.
Good followers know how to move together. They help shape the path. They push back on bad decisions. They say when something doesn’t feel right — when it isn’t aligned with their purpose, or the purpose of the team. And if a leader keeps dragging them somewhere they can’t stand behind, they’ll just start walking in the direction the team feels is right… and the leader is forced to “follow.”
Bad followers do the opposite. They follow the leader blindly, even against their own intuition. They’re afraid to stand out, or afraid to be wrong, so they hand their power over to “authority” — and create a single point of failure, a single point of power. And as we know, where power is concentrated, corruption sneaks in.
Take a team whose leader says they should set up their new base in the desert.
Good followers push back. Is this aligned with our mission? Will this lead to our success? Does this feel right for me? They’re constantly checking whether the path being chosen still matches why the group exists. If they end up in the desert, it’s because they share a belief that it’s the right place.
Bad followers go to the desert… and when it fails, they blame the leader. “He’s a bad leader,” they’d say. “Someone else should be leader.” As if swapping the crown fixes the real problem — that they gave up their power. Their ability to co-create the journey with their team; the fact that God / the Universe can speak through anyone… if we’re willing to listen.
So maybe it’s time to stop blaming your boss for everything you think is wrong, and start seeing how you can lead a change as a follower.
How to be a good follower
- Work on yourself. Understand your feelings and sensations (Circling).
- Listen for the leader. Being isolated from the group means leaders often don’t hear the murmurings of their people. Listen. Understand it deeply. Separate fear from truth.
- Have the courage to speak out — The Courage to Be Disliked, the courage even to be kicked out of the group. Speak for others if no one else will. Or speak for yourself if they do.
Only then will the world not be plagued by bad leaders — it’ll be directed by good followers.