How to be a Leader without Followers

U.S. companies spend more than $160 billion each year on employee training with the majority of this money being spent on leadership development. Unfortunately, research has shown that much of this money is wasted on leadership trainings, programs, workshops, conferences and classes that simply do not work.  As a result, while 83% of organizations state that leadership development is important, only 19% state that they are very effective at it. What is going on?

The short of it is, defining leadership as a role, a concept and a mindset is not simple and is not universally agreed upon. There are different beliefs, philosophies and styles when it comes to leadership, and this is further complicated by inevitable cultural shifts and changes in the workplace. As more and more organizational charts flatten, and servant leadership takes center stage, there are still legions who believe the old school, top-down style of leadership should reign supreme. Others adopt a more coaching-based style while others still battle it out between the value of micromanagement and the importance of a laissez-faire approach. Research tries to suss it all out, but like all else in life, there is great difference and debate as to which way works best.

One popular thread in the What is Leadership? discussion has been the differentiation between managers and leaders. The general contention has been that simply managing other people does not automatically make you a leader of them. Leadership, the argument goes, requires skill, vision, character, relationships and strategic thinking. It is as much art as it is skill, and one that many never quite grasp. It is clear, this belief holds, that you can be a manager without being a leader.

But can you be a leader without being a manager? Can you be a leader without followers? I argue that you can.

Kind of.

In the most basic definition of leadership, there is an acceptance that leaders need followers. The Oxford dictionary states as such, defining ‘leadership’ as the action of leading a group of people or an organization. As John Boehner famously said, “A leader without followers is simply a man taking a walk.” 

In the truest sense of the word, a leader inherently necessitates followers. Or at the very least one. In the workplace, this shows up as a  person who leads a team or a company, a supervisor of other people. Outside of the workplace, we can imagine political, religious and cultural leaders with legions of followers of their respective messages. In both cases, the leaders lead others toward a unified vision, goal or movement. Without these followers, these leaders would simply be men (and women) taking a walk. But is this always the case? Is there a way to be a leader outside of these traditional scenarios?

LEADERS WHO ARE NOT MANAGERS

What about those employees who do not supervise anyone else but whose examples, ideas and character inspire others? Must their followers be subordinates or can they be peers and, dare I say, those who are above them on the increasingly flatter but still hierarchical org chart? If they are motivating and guiding others toward a common vision and goal, shouldn’t this also be considered leadership? Can’t they lead by walking next to rather than ahead of? All of that money spent on leadership development is not aimed at these people, but aren’t they leaders just the same? 

SOLOPRENEURS

And what of people who start their own one-person businesses? Solopreneurs, if you will. They are not leading other people in terms of supervising them, but they are taking leadership of their careers and their lives. And they may not have followers in the traditional sense, but they have clients, stakeholders, supporters, partners, collaborators and fans who believe in their mission and message. They are leading others toward a common vision and path, often walking that path side by side. Isn’t this essentially what leadership is?

I recently sent out a request to the entrepreneurs in my life, many of whom run one-person companies, to request quotes on the role leadership plays in their lives. I was taken aback by how many of them replied that they didn’t necessarily consider themselves leaders. These are people who have taken complete control- taken the lead-  over their careers and their lives and created a group of people- followers- who buy into their mission and vision. Just because they do not hire and manage employees does not mean they are not leaders. Not in my book anyway. 

LEADERSHIP SKILLS, TRAITS AND QUALITIES

Many of the skills often classified as leadership skills, are also essential for people who do not have traditional followers. In my attempt at creating a resource to capture these, I chose 17 essential skills leaders need to be successful. Outside of some obvious ones related to supervising others- hiring, managing poor performance, delegating, team building- most of the skills apply to leaders without traditional followers- strategic thinking, goal-setting, communication, time management, prioritizing, organizing, problem-solving. These skills are not unique to leaders who manage others, but instead are necessary for leaders in the non-traditional sense as well. In addition, there are traits that we attribute to effective leaders- integrity, humility, transparency, humor- that equally apply to leaders without followers. And let us not forget the qualities leaders need to succeed- perseverance, resilience, dedication, focus- that, once again, apply to others as well.

LEADING WITHOUT FOLLOWERS

Many agree that being a leader does not require a title. I’d like to take that a step further and argue that being a leader does not require followers. Not in the traditional sense anyway. You can be a leader without supervising others. You can lead other people without being the one who conducts their annual performance reviews. You can be a leader running a one-person company. You can be a leader without working at all. You do not need followers in the traditional sense, but you do need champions who share your vision and support your mission. You need partners and fans. You cannot walk alone but you can walk with and beside, rather than ahead of. You need a purpose and a reason, but you do not need a name plate.

Lead on, my follower-less friend…

RESOURCES