Teamership is not followership
Any of us can take a position of leadership or followership in service of the team’s objectives. Photo by Jason Goodman on Unsplash
Barbara Kellerman is a Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Centre for Public Leadership and has written extensively about followership, including in her book (unsurprisingly) titled “Followership” in 2008.
It is a well considered and researched book that seeks to remove the stigma and shame attached with being called a “follower” – often used as a way to make others feel small (I still remember the shame of being called a follower at school!). Quite reasonably, the book points to the impact that those without official leadership titles are increasingly able to have, citing examples from a range of settings.
At the same time, Keller highlights the limitations and overreach of established approaches to leadership. The book pushes back against the leader-centric views that are often pervasive. I largely agree with both of these points – the important impact of people without a leadership title and the risk of overemphasising the leader as a hero.
There are some key differences. Kellerman has defined followership as:
“The response of those in subordinate positions (followers) to those in superior ones (leaders). Followership implies a relationship (rank) between subordinates and superiors, and a response (behaviour) of the former to the latter”
This is a core differentiator between Kellerman’s presentation of followership and my position on teamership. The use of “subordinates” and “superiors” perpetuates a sense of rank and hierarchy that doesn’t reflect the complex and dynamic way in which teams in modern settings operate. In particular, I encourage you to challenge the idea of labelling individuals as “leaders” or “followers” – suggesting that we are one or the other.
The fact is that at any given time, any of us can need to take a position of leadership or a position of followership in service of the team’s objectives. One of the most dangerous and limiting approaches that a team can take is to put all of its decision making, accountability and responsibility with one person. It dilutes the impact of the team and reduces the chance that it can perform in a way that is greater than the sum of its parts.
Positioning an individual as a leader or a follower reduces the likelihood that each person brings their best contribution to the team. Teamership is more dynamic than that – sometimes leading, sometimes following, always serving the team’s purpose.
Here are some questions for you to reflect on this week.
Do you make a distinction between teamership and followership?
When do your teams need you to lead - even without a leadership title?
Can you think of times that you need to follow in your teams - even if you have a leadership title?