Following the Leader Is Leadership, Too

Abstract

It’s often said that to be a leader, you have to have followers. In our view, being a follower is by no means a minor role. When you’re a good follower, you are, at the same time, exhibiting leadership. Consider these two scenarios:

Scenario #1. In a decision engineered largely by his father, Thorn, 38, has just been appointed the CEO of his family’s business. This is a disappointment to his two brothers, who had their own hopes of being named to the top post. The younger brother, Keith, swallows his disappointment and continues on as marketing chief. “Maybe Thorn will screw up and I’ll get the chance to run this company,” he says to himself, chuckling. “Maybe I can even help him screw up.”

Thorn’s older brother, Milt, takes the decision hard. He complains bitterly about Thorn’s shortcomings to anyone who will listen—his wife, his children, his mother, other family shareholders, and board members. He threatens to leave the company. A newspaper reporter gets wind of the conflict and publishes an unflattering story. Non-family employees, fearing a company meltdown, start to search for other jobs. Thorn finds himself in the uncomfortable position of having to reassure bankers, suppliers, and customers that the company is stable.