EP 5 - Followership

Why do people follow the leader? The answer may surprise you... 

TRANSCRIPT

FOLLOWERSHIP

Why do people follow the leader?

The answer might surprise you. But before I tell you what it is, I have another question.

Are leaders “born” or “made”?

If you think leaders have to be “outgoing”, “charismatic”, “confident”, and “assertive”, you probably think that leaders are “born”. But they’re “not”.

These are personality traits that can be useful to a leader, but they’re not required.

In fact, recent studies show that leadership success is 30% genetic and 70% learned.

So back to my initial question - Why do people follow the leader?

The Gallup organization polled 10,000 followers and asked them what they needed from a leader. And there were four things: trust, compassion, stability and hope.

And guess what? Any leader can learn how to develop those feelings in others.

Trust comes with honesty

Compassion comes from empathy

Stability comes with consistency, and

Hope comes with optimism

And all these traits can be developed.

You can influence people with trust, compassion, stability and hope.

You don't have to be liked, you don't have to be popular, and you don't have to be charismatic.

You've got to be “honest”, “empathetic”, “consistent” and “optimistic”. And when you are, people are going to follow your lead!