Leading with the intent to follow

March 20, 2025 By Aaron Huizenga

As a leader, it is easy to give direction, delegate tasks and manage workflow, but will the machine run if you are not pulling the levers and pushing the buttons?

If you are a true leader, there is nothing more satisfying than seeing someone under your umbrella of responsibility become a leader themselves. At that point, you have helped them unlock or leverage a latent or dormant potential in themselves to move into a new confidence in their career. Then they become enthusiastic and wholehearted contributors to the business. Moving forward, they can take the lead, and then you, as the leader, can become, and maybe should become, the follower. You are not actually relinquishing your position, but you are creating leaders that you, their leader, can follow.

Followership is one of the most difficult tasks that any true leader must not only embrace but cultivate in their organization. When a leader can step away from the team either temporarily or permanently and has created a space around themselves that is filled with other leaders who can lead on their own, while the top leader follows, that is a structure that will continue being successful.

Followership is not an easy task if you are the one who is used to being in control of situations, but the power to follow is critical for everyone else. Allowing the other leaders to take charge of projects or tasks develops new skill sets when they know they are now leading their leader.

Think about this situation. The organization leader may be the CEO, president or owner. They’re at the table with the other managers and leaders of the team planning a big project. James, the president, turns to Ann, the general manager, and asks her to take the lead on this next growth opportunity that has upsides and some risks that revolve around cost.

James instructs Ann that this is her project, and he will help in any way that he is needed – she just has to let him know when and how.

Ann now has the helm of this ship and becomes the leader. Ann is going to make sure that her plan is solid, her costs are in line with the budget and the steps are clearly defined from start to finish. What do you believe Ann is doing in this situation? She is most likely thinking through every step, every detail, wanting to complete as much as possible and own this outcome. She has been given a great responsibility, and she wants to deliver results. She is now the top leader for this project. James moved himself into a followership role. He is helping to create and build skills that can only be learned if he puts himself in the second- or third-place role in this project. He has to follow in order to build other true leaders.

It seems great in theory, right? But a few other things must happen if building another leader is James’ plan. He cannot come in over the top and change her plan. He could offer course correction suggestions, but he needs to stay out of the way. James needs to support Ann when asked, but without wedging back in to re-take control from her. Followership is hard, deliberate and necessary for the long-term success of any high-performing organization.

Leaders lead, that is true, but the other and equally critical part of the role is to create other leaders! We are all leaving our organizations at some point; that is an inevitable fact of life. Work on building those other leaders who will carry on the business, starting by learning to become a follower.

Let’s work on your upgrade!

Aaron Huizenga is East Division manager for Lakes Gas in Wisconsin. Reach him at ahuizenga@lakesgas.com.

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