When we picture a strong leader, we often imagine someone decisive, visionary, and commanding. Yet some of the most respected executives built their impact through their ability to listen, learn, and elevate others.

A recent article in Harvard Business Review outlines the importance of empathy and the ability to listen and learn in leadership. In the article, they define this as followership. Followership is the ability to actively and responsibly support, influence, and strengthen leadership efforts in pursuit of shared organizational goals. It reflects a mindset of contribution, accountability, and commitment to something larger than oneself.

Strong followership is characterized by:

• Emotional stability: Remaining composed, resilient, and steady under pressure, especially during uncertainty or change.
• Curiosity: Demonstrating a genuine desire to learn, ask thoughtful questions, and understand broader perspectives.
• Integrity: Acting with honesty and consistency, aligning words and actions with shared values and ethical standards.
• Sociability: Building positive relationships, collaborating effectively, and fostering trust within teams.
• Strong work ethic: Delivering reliable performance, following through on commitments, and taking ownership of outcomes.

Together, these qualities create the foundation for both effective followership and strong leadership. Strong followership strengthens teams, improves decision making, and ultimately enhances leadership effectiveness.

In organizations, no one person has all the answers. The capacity to follow well, even when holding positional power, becomes a defining strength.

Many leaders struggle with followership skills because traditional leadership narratives reward certainty and visible competence. Leaders may feel pressure to appear decisive at all times. That pressure can crowd out curiosity and humility.

Leadership breakdowns tend to happen when leaders lose touch with listening and ongoing learning. They often become insulated from frontline realities.

Organizations operate in environments shaped by rapid change, specialized knowledge, and increasingly powerful AI tools where expertise is more distributed. Insight lives at every level of the organization, and it’s important for leaders to acknowledge that. This shifts the leadership advantage from being the loudest voice in the room to being the person who builds genuine connection and trust.

Five Followership Capabilities Every Leader Should Develop

1. Active Listening: Strong followers listen to understand, not to confirm. Leaders who adopt this approach reduce blind spots and create psychological safety. They hear concerns early, detect weak signals, and avoid the isolation that often accompanies senior roles.
2. Prioritizing Purpose Over Personal Credit: The most effective followers focus on collective success. They are less concerned with recognition and more focused on outcomes. Leaders who model this behavior shape cultures where performance matters more than optics. Teams collaborate more freely when credit is shared and accountability is mutual. When ego recedes, trust grows.
3. Reliable Execution: Followers turn strategy into action. Leaders who have mastered execution understand operational realities and constraints. They stay grounded in how work actually gets done. Without this foundation, strategy can drift away from feasibility, and leaders risk becoming disconnected from the workforce and overly optimistic about results.
4. Constructive Dissent: Healthy followership includes speaking up. Strong followers challenge ideas respectfully, raise risks, and question assumptions. Leaders who welcome dissent strengthen organizational intelligence. They avoid groupthink and encourage better decision making. Over time, openness to challenge becomes a competitive advantage.
5. Coachability: Followers who actively seek feedback continue to grow. They treat improvement as part of their professional identity. Leaders who remain coachable resist complacency. They adapt as the environment shifts and evolve alongside their teams rather than relying solely on past success. Coachability keeps leadership fresh, relevant, and resilient.

Organizations that treat followership as foundational rather than secondary will build deeper leadership benches. They will also create cultures where influence is earned through contribution, not just title.

How do you encourage and lead with followership in your organization? Email me at mocorrado@aseonline.org.