Leadership and Followship

Introducing my other half

Following on the twenty year theme, my husband and I are unusual in that we have both been in the same professions for our entire working lives.  He joined a major bank as part of the graduate scheme, and despite throwing all my resources away a couple of times, I’m still teaching.  Once upon a time, our salaries were even comparable.

I find it fascinating that our very different professional worlds (he gets bonuses and paid social events) are using more and more of the same language and thinking.  He recently went on a Growth Mindset workshop, and we’ve had long discussions about the roles of mentors and professional learning.

We are both interested in leadership, and this article in the weekend’s New Zealand Herald provoked some discussion.

Never mind leadership, get on with your job.

Summary of the article

The article suggests that sending staff on leadership training is a waste of time, as there will only ever be a limited number of leadership positions.  It is more worthwhile to encourage good “followship” habits: following instructions, seeing tasks through, and alerting leadership to flaws in processes or tasks.

The researcher quoted also said that more industry recognition should go to followers than leaders.

Leadership in schools

One of the special characteristics of schools is the range of groups we are involved with.  I am in two small curriculum groups, within one larger faculty, a PLG, a committee, a working group, a mentoring group, and a whole staff group.  And that’s just what I could think of at the moment, not including the wider community.  All of these groups have different leaders, and my role in each is different, from unchallenging follower, to active participant, to expert, to transformational leader (I hope!).

A common complaint in teaching is that leadership positions take you away from what you’re actually good at – teaching students.  The recognition of alternative career pathways, particularly through the IES, could change this practice.

The value of followers

I find that term belittling, but as it fits in with the article, I’ll use it.  I admire the skills of people who can see a process through, sort out the details, who you can rely on to just get on and do it.  I think any big-picture thinker would agree. A team needs all sorts of skills, thinking habits and work habits to get on, never mind to grow, develop and innovate.

Do you agree?

Education has so many teams, pathways, and directions available that I believe there is still potential for many, many leaders.  I agree that there are good leaders and bad leaders, and that leadership training is not yet available for all when it is needed.  I also agree that teams need all sorts of skills.  While I believe that some of the followship traits of discipline and attention to detail are key skills for our students, I would also argue that leaders need these traits too.  Can you imagine working in a team where the leader had none of these?  Less hierarchical structures, and a mindset that encourages multiple values are the way forward.

What happens when nobody checks the gravity’s turned on.