The objective of a leader is to create more leaderss
Leadership is defined by followership. You can’t have one without the other. In order to be a leader, you need someone else who is riding along with you, on the journey to the achievement of a long-term vision or a short-term objective. When you are a leader, you can craft your own style. There is no universal leadership trait. Try to fake it, and you’ll very likely fail to guide the people around you in need of leadership. Be extravagantly visionary, and many people around you will believe you are out of your mind.
Followership is an art and science too. How can one be an effective follower? According to the LMX theory of followership, there are 5 main styles you may employ as a follower—and these are not completely fixed, but rather situation dependent. Being a “follower” is just as important as being a leader. When you understand your position in a group, own it, and make the best out of it, that’s the best-case scenario. When being a “follower”, you can locate yourself in the LMX matrix according to two main criteria: your level of engagement, and your level of critical thinking. You want to find a sweet spot that balances the two axes.
When you are an effective follower, you play the game of supporting the leader in the journey to the achievement of a higher cause. You are aware of your role and you play the game within your boundaries. You are on your feet and awake enough to voice your thoughts and opinions whenever you believe this is worth doing. You are self-aware enough to question your and the leaders’ choices at any time, and openly share your thoughts and feelings when necessary.
As an “effective” follower, you are engaged enough to be an essential component in the advancement of the project led by the leadership team. You are high integrity, committed, and open to receiving and providing unapologetically beneficial feedback. As an effective follower, you also understand and know when it is time to leave and make space for others. You internalize the knowledge that you are a component—even if essential—of a bigger puzzle, and you accept such a fact by letting go of your egoic identification with what you do.
Eventually, you will be rewarded with more responsibility, and you will be recognized as a leader if you carry out those actions with high integrity over time. You will increase your competence, and you will be rewarded with leadership. Every leader needs a follower until the follower is ready to become a leader. The final objective of leadership is to create new leaders who can think for themselves, not to gather more followers.