Articles / Leadership or Followership: Which Drives Business Success?
Development, Training & CoachingDiscover whether leadership or followership creates greater business impact. Learn when to lead, when to follow, and how both skills drive organisational success.
Written by Laura Bouttell
Leadership and followership are complementary forces that drive organisational success, with effective leaders demonstrating mastery of both capabilities depending on context, hierarchy, and strategic objectives. Rather than viewing these as opposing concepts, the most successful business executives understand that exceptional leadership often requires exceptional followership, and that both skills are essential for navigating complex modern organisations.
Consider this striking statistic: research by Harvard Business School reveals that 95% of senior executives spend significant portions of their time in follower roles, yet only 23% receive formal training in followership skills. This paradox illuminates a critical gap in executive development—whilst we invest heavily in leadership programmes, we often overlook the equally vital art of strategic following.
The question "leadership or followership" reflects a fundamental misunderstanding of organisational dynamics. Like asking whether breathing in or breathing out is more important, these capabilities work in tandem to create organisational vitality. The most effective leaders know when to step forward and when to step back, when to direct and when to support, when to innovate and when to implement.
This exploration examines both leadership and followership as strategic competencies, revealing how mastering both creates competitive advantage in today's interconnected business environment.
Leadership involves setting direction, influencing others, and taking responsibility for outcomes, whilst followership entails supporting shared objectives, implementing strategies, and contributing expertise within established structures. Both require emotional intelligence, strategic thinking, and the ability to work effectively with others.
Leadership traditionally encompasses vision-setting, decision-making, resource allocation, and accountability for results. Leaders identify opportunities, navigate uncertainty, and mobilise teams toward common goals. They often operate at the intersection of strategy and execution, translating abstract concepts into concrete actions.
Followership, conversely, involves active engagement in achieving objectives set by others. Effective followers contribute ideas, provide feedback, execute plans, and support organisational priorities. They demonstrate initiative within defined parameters and add value through expertise, commitment, and collaborative spirit.
The distinction becomes blurred in matrix organisations and cross-functional teams, where individuals simultaneously lead in some contexts whilst following in others. A finance director might lead budget discussions whilst following guidance from the chief executive on strategic direction.
Modern leadership extends beyond traditional command-and-control models. Today's effective leaders exhibit several critical characteristics:
Followership is far from passive compliance. Active, engaged followers demonstrate:
Leadership appears more important because leaders bear ultimate accountability for organisational outcomes and possess formal authority to make strategic decisions. However, this perspective oversimplifies the complex interdependencies that drive business success.
Leaders set the strategic tone and direction for organisations. They make high-stakes decisions, allocate resources, and face public accountability for results. When organisations succeed or fail, leaders typically receive credit or blame. This visibility creates the impression that leadership trumps all other contributions.
The hierarchical nature of most organisations reinforces leadership's perceived importance. Leaders occupy positions of formal authority, control budgets, and make decisions that affect hundreds or thousands of employees. Their actions can dramatically impact share prices, market positioning, and organisational survival.
However, this view ignores a crucial reality: even the most brilliant leaders fail without effective followers. Steve Jobs revolutionised multiple industries, but his success depended entirely on teams of engineers, designers, and marketers who could translate his vision into revolutionary products.
Consider the British expedition to Antarctica led by Ernest Shackleton. Whilst Shackleton's leadership during the Endurance expedition became legendary, the survival of all 28 crew members depended equally on their exceptional followership—their commitment, expertise, and willingness to support shared objectives under extraordinary circumstances.
Followership proves more valuable when organisations need deep expertise, consistent execution, or support for established strategies rather than new direction or significant change. Certain contexts favour following over leading, particularly in technical domains, crisis situations, and highly regulated environments.
In complex technical environments, the most knowledgeable person should lead regardless of formal hierarchy. A junior software engineer might have superior understanding of emerging technologies compared to a senior executive. In such situations, effective leadership means stepping into a follower role and supporting the technical expert's guidance.
The 2008 financial crisis demonstrated this principle. Many CEOs found themselves following the guidance of risk management specialists and quantitative analysts who better understood complex derivative instruments and their systemic implications.
During emergencies, established protocols often take precedence over innovative leadership. Emergency responders train extensively to follow proven procedures because creative improvisation can prove disastrous when lives are at stake.
Similarly, during the COVID-19 pandemic, many business leaders found success by following public health guidance rather than attempting to create novel approaches to workplace safety.
In heavily regulated industries like pharmaceuticals or financial services, followership becomes paramount. The most effective approach often involves scrupulous adherence to established guidelines rather than innovative leadership approaches that might violate regulatory requirements.
Leadership and followership create synergistic value through complementary capabilities, shared accountability, and dynamic role transitions that adapt to changing organisational needs. The most effective teams seamlessly blend both capabilities.
In high-performing organisations, individuals transition fluidly between leadership and followership roles based on context, expertise, and situational requirements. A marketing director might lead brand strategy discussions whilst following financial guidance from the CFO during budget planning.
This flexibility requires psychological safety and cultural norms that support role transitions without status implications. Team members must feel comfortable stepping into leadership when they possess relevant expertise and stepping back when others are better positioned to lead.
Modern organisations increasingly adopt shared accountability models where multiple individuals bear responsibility for outcomes. This approach distributes both leadership and followership responsibilities across team members based on their strengths and the situation at hand.
Effective organisations create mechanisms for followers to influence leaders and vice versa. This might include:
Effective followership develops crucial business skills, builds professional networks, provides learning opportunities, and creates pathways to future leadership roles whilst contributing immediately to organisational success.
Following exceptional leaders provides unparalleled learning opportunities. Followers observe decision-making processes, witness how leaders navigate challenges, and gain insights into strategic thinking that cannot be taught in classroom settings.
Many of Britain's most successful CEOs, including Sir Terry Leahy of Tesco and Dame Carolyn McCall of easyJet, attribute their success partly to lessons learned whilst following other exceptional leaders early in their careers.
Good followers build strong relationships across organisational levels and functions. They become trusted contributors whom leaders rely upon for honest feedback, innovative ideas, and reliable execution. These relationships often prove invaluable for career advancement and future leadership opportunities.
Followership allows individuals to focus on areas of strength and expertise without bearing ultimate accountability for organisational outcomes. This can reduce stress whilst enabling deeper contribution in specific domains.
Technical specialists, for instance, might achieve greater satisfaction and impact by following strategic direction whilst leading in their areas of expertise rather than transitioning to general management roles.
The best followers develop leadership capabilities through observation, practice in low-stakes situations, and gradual assumption of increased responsibilities. They learn to think strategically whilst maintaining operational focus.
Situational leadership approaches that match leader behaviour to follower readiness and capability produce optimal outcomes, with different styles required for different follower types and contexts.
Developed by Ken Blanchard and Paul Hersey, situational leadership suggests four primary styles:
Enthusiastic Beginners respond well to directive leadership that provides clear expectations, frequent feedback, and structured guidance. These followers need specific instructions and close monitoring whilst they develop competence.
Disillusioned Learners benefit from coaching approaches that combine direction with emotional support. They possess some skills but may feel overwhelmed or discouraged, requiring both guidance and encouragement.
Capable but Cautious Performers respond to supportive leadership that provides encouragement while allowing autonomy. These followers have the skills but need confidence-building to perform independently.
Self-Reliant Achievers thrive under delegating leadership that provides objectives and resources whilst allowing complete autonomy in methods and timing. These followers need minimal direction but appreciate recognition and strategic guidance.
British business culture often favours understated leadership styles that combine clear expectations with respectful autonomy. The concept of "muddle through"—finding practical solutions through collaboration rather than authoritarian direction—reflects cultural preferences that influence effective leadership approaches.
Different cultural backgrounds within organisations may respond differently to various leadership styles, requiring adaptive approaches that consider individual preferences alongside situational factors.
Developing both capabilities requires deliberate practice, diverse experiences, feedback mechanisms, and a growth mindset that views both leading and following as valuable competencies worthy of investment.
Organisations can foster both leadership and followership development through:
Both effective leadership and followership require deep self-awareness. Regular reflection on the following questions can accelerate development:
Development requires measurement. Consider tracking:
Common leadership mistakes regarding followership include undervaluing follower contributions, failing to develop following skills in themselves, micromanaging instead of empowering, and neglecting to create systems for upward feedback.
Many leaders view followers as passive implementers rather than active contributors to organisational success. This perspective leads to underutilising follower expertise, creativity, and insights that could improve decision-making and execution.
Research by the Centre for Creative Leadership shows that organisations with highly engaged followers achieve 23% higher profitability, 18% higher productivity, and 12% better customer metrics compared to those with disengaged followers.
Leaders often assume that promotion to leadership positions eliminates the need for followership skills. However, even CEOs must effectively follow board guidance, regulatory requirements, and market dynamics. Leaders who lack followership skills often struggle with stakeholder management and collaborative decision-making.
Fear of delegation leads many leaders to micromanage rather than empowering followers to contribute meaningfully. This approach reduces follower engagement, limits organisational capacity, and creates bottlenecks that impede performance.
Effective leaders learn to delegate meaningfully by:
Many organisations lack robust mechanisms for followers to provide upward feedback to leaders. This creates blind spots that limit leader effectiveness and reduce follower engagement.
Success in business requires mastery of both leadership and followership skills, with effectiveness determined by situational context rather than role preference. The most successful executives demonstrate exceptional capability in both domains, adapting their approach based on circumstances, expertise, and organisational needs.
Absolutely—the best leaders are often exceptional followers who understand how to support organisational objectives whilst contributing their unique expertise. This dual capability enables dynamic role transitions that optimise team performance and create more resilient organisations.
The decision to lead or follow should be based on expertise, formal responsibility, situational urgency, and potential impact rather than ego or preference. Consider leading when you have superior knowledge, clear accountability, or unique insights. Consider following when others are better positioned to lead or when supporting their leadership creates greater value.
Industries with high regulatory requirements, complex technical systems, or life-and-death consequences typically place premium value on effective followership. These include healthcare, aviation, financial services, pharmaceuticals, and emergency services where following established protocols often proves more valuable than innovative leadership.
Organisations can develop better followers through training programmes focused on active engagement, feedback skills, and collaborative problem-solving, combined with cultural changes that value and recognise followership contributions. This includes creating advancement pathways that reward exceptional following, not just leading.
Strategic followership accelerates career advancement by developing crucial skills, building relationships, and demonstrating reliability whilst providing learning opportunities that prepare individuals for future leadership roles. Many successful leaders attribute their advancement partly to their reputation as exceptional followers who could be trusted with increasing responsibilities.
The question "leadership or followership" presents a false choice that misunderstands the symbiotic relationship between these complementary capabilities. Successful organisations require both exceptional leaders and exceptional followers, often embodied in the same individuals who can transition fluidly between roles based on context and need.
Rather than viewing leadership and followership as competing alternatives, forward-thinking executives recognise both as essential competencies that multiply organisational effectiveness. The leaders who will thrive in increasingly complex and interconnected business environments are those who master both the art of leading and the discipline of following.
The path forward requires organisations to invest equally in developing both capabilities, creating cultures that value contribution over hierarchy, and recognising that sustainable success emerges from the dynamic interplay between those who set direction and those who make it reality. In the end, the most profound leadership often lies in knowing when to follow.