Workers show up. Followers show out. Leaders show the way.
That’s it. Simple really, a statement that defines the three levels of engagement in your organization. Everyone in your organization is showing something, even if they think they are contributing nothing to very little. Leaders must understand this. If you want to be a more effective leader, then you must find ways to engage your workers to become followers and your followers to become leaders.
Engagement is the elevator to loyalty.
It is the leader’s responsibility to ensure that there is an environment that appreciates those workers and those followers in the organization. Engagement means connecting not catering. The leader must not practice catering to those in the organization. A leader who caters is a leader who is inconsistent and most likely manipulative. Catering is manipulation based on preference. Leaders must serve. Service places the needs of the mission above the preference of people. The leader can’t make anyone anything, but the leader can create engagement that is the platform for transformation. Appreciation is almost always a certain way to get people to listen up. And when your people listen up, you can take them up.
A little bit of thanks from the boss can put a lot in the loyalty bank.
Now, I have a friend who is a phenomenal leader. Yet, he never lost his ability to be the best follower. His name is Jimmy Collins. He went to work for this little restauranteur in Hapeville, Georgia several decades ago. The name of that little restaurant company that would become a world leader in food, hospitality, innovation and talent development: Chick-fil-A.
“As a result of taking care of Truett Cathy and his interests, my absolute loyalty was rewarded by his unwavering support, and I was honored appropriately.“
– Jimmy Collins, former President & COO of Chick-fil-A, Inc.
Jimmy would help guide, lead and serve Chick-fil-A for 36 years. He was with Chick-fil-A founder, S. Truett Cathy though ever major decision in the early years of building what is now a nearly $7 billion a year restaurant chain with over 2,000 units. He reflected on his life’s mission and career and wrote a book called Creative Followership. I highly recommend it.(http://creativefollowership.com/blog/)
I had breakfast with Jimmy several years ago and his wisdom was only surpassed by his humility. Much of what I am writing about today came from his concept of what he shared with me and my leadership team that morning. He explained to us that there are three basic levels of those engaged in your organization: Leaders, followers & workers.
Loyalty is the key to longevity.
If you desire a long career, a long shelf life or a long ride in the organization that you are in, then start with loyalty. Loyalty is the measure of how healthy your organization really is. Loyalty is the measure of the strength and sustainability of the attachment of the heart strings to a thing. The greatest loyalty is always found coming from the heart. Many people in your organization are simply loyal to their position in the organization. Workers are people and people are necessary. Let me remind you, you need people. You just need to move more of your people from worker to follower.
Workers want recognition and reward.
Workers are those in your organization that are more loyal to their position than to their leaders. Workers are worried about benefits and salaries and money. Workers want promotion because they want recognition and reward. This is not inherently wrong, but it exposes the motivation of many in your organization. They are simply there to do their job, put their time in and go home. They may do a wonderful job, but loyalty does not extend to the deepest level: the heart. They may like their leaders, they may like their job and they may even like who they work with, but that’s it. It’s a “like it or leave it” mentality.
Followers want responsibility.
The best followers I have ever worked with didn’t want more money and didn’t want more benefits. What they really wanted was more responsibility. This is a great test for those in your organization who say they want to “grow” with the organization. If they are primarily concerned with growing their income over their output, then most likely you are dealing with a worker and not a follower. If you want productivity to go up in your organization, aside from getting better organized, put your best followers in the most critical positions. Followers increase productivity, because followers love to produce.
Followers are the best producers because of influence. Followers are highly influenced by their leaders. Workers are marginally influenced by their leaders.
Why? Simple really, agenda.
Workers have their own agenda. Followers execute another’s agenda.
An agenda is a plan, a motivation or a mission. Present in body, doesn’t necessitate presence of heart or mind. Workers are great at going through the motions. Followers don’t just want the motion, they pair it with emotion! Followers begin to love who they work with or where they work. This is because they don’t have a competing agenda. Workers want to get something out of where they work. Followers want to put something into who they work for or where they work.
Leaders show the way.
Leaders themselves must follow. Even if they have reached a pinnacle position in the organization, they must always have the attitude of a follower. The way to greater loyalty in the organization is paved on the path of humility. You can perceive yourself to be the best, most creative, most talented and most appropriate person in the organization. And you know what? You might be right. But, you still might get passed over for promotion. You might not get the appreciation you deserve. You might get frustrated by your leader. You might demonstrate absolute loyalty and still not get where you want to be. It is humility that will lock your loyalty in place. The way leaders must show is the way of humility. Lower yourself to bring others to higher places. Being right is not as important as getting it right and getting the right people in the right places.
If you remember that you are there to serve your organization, then it is easier to follow. But, when you want the organization to serve you, following gets a lot harder. The best leaders serve. The best followers serve their leaders. Workers want to be served.
“Loyalty makes a person attractive. It is better to be poor than dishonest.”
Proverbs 19:22, NLT
(I love hearing from you or how this article is helping your or organization.)
Alex, your description of the differences in a Follower and a Worker are very simple and clear, one that anyone can understand.
Unfortunately, there are too many people with authority that will never become leaders and will not attract followers.
To attract followers and empower them a leader must be sincerely and enthusiastically willing to let the followers take responsibility. A person in authority can assign part of his or her authority, but the follower must take responsibility.
We have all seen the disasters that occur when a person has been given authority, but still will not take responsibility for his or her own behavior.
That is why I emphasize that followers, and only followers, take responsibility.
I agree with you that workers can become followers. I have seen it happen and enjoyed the positive results.
I also appreciate very much the value you place on workers and their contribution in every organization. Not everyone is a follower and not everyone is a leader, but every organization needs all three.
Jimmy Collins