Think of all the workshops, books, and articles that teach about leadership. There are too many to count. Yet how can anyone be a leader without followers? And how can someone be an effective leader unless these followers rise to the occasion? So how come we don't spend more time cultivating good "followership"?

Canadian colleague Marilyn MacKenzie raised just this question 15 years ago in an article she wrote for Voluntary Action Leadership (Spring 1989) called "Creative Followership" and subtitled "the time has come to focus out attention where it really belongs." She outlined three principles:

1. A creative follower participates wholeheartedly in all phases of the enterprise.
2. A creative follower displays a willingness to listen to reason, to open oneself to new possibilities.
3. A creative follower is genuinely committed to work with the group to develop solutions, plans and programs that result from group effort.

Think about how these principles are vital to the success of any effort -- and then ask yourself whether you have designed work assignments and training for volunteers that instill these attitudes.

This is a shared leadership model and is far more motivating and engaging than top-down hierarchy. How can you create this type of organization? Here are a few ideas:

• It's common to write job descriptions for team leaders, committee chairpeople, board officers, and other positions of "rank." If you stop there, however, you are sending the clear message that the leaders work and the "ordinary" member waits to be told what to do. So make sure that you write job descriptions for what it means to be a member of the team, committee or board.  In fact, that's where you should start. First define what every participant in this effort needs to do; then add the additional tasks of the needed officers, beginning those job descriptions with "shall fulfill all the responsibilities of a member of __________, and then do ________________."

• Whenever possible, rotate the chair position so that each member gets a chance to convene a meeting and no one person is seen as "in charge." Further, eliminate the chair position altogether by forming smaller teams -- even twos and threes -- that can work cooperatively without the need to designate power, just a point person for communication.

• Train everyone to take action and not wait for someone else to make requests. This can be done for any volunteer in any position. Be clear when and how to take initiative, submit recommendations, etc. It's ok to put limits on this, too, but whenever you find yourself training about the "don'ts," make sure you also mention a few important "do's."

• Publicize the expectations of membership (for all-volunteer associations) as well as the benefits. Look at most organization's membership brochures and you'll be struck by all the "reasons to join" -- what a member gets. When and where does a member learn what she or he is expected to give, beyond dues? Does a small group of long-time people determine projects for the year and then try to recruit members to "help"? Do members even know how they might participate in the planning process as well as in the implementation? Assess whether you have a culture of top-down leadership or true member participation.

• For an agency volunteer program, the assessment question is: Does the volunteer program manager do all the planning and then recruit volunteers to do things? When and how do current volunteers have the chance to participate in running what is, after all, their program?

If we want volunteers to take initiative (and even leadership, in the most positive sense), then we must demonstrate by our actions that good ideas can come from any source and decisions will be made openly and collectively. Because most of society does not work this way, if we want this sort of organizational culture, it takes conscious attention. Of course, since the followers always outnumber the leaders, it seems worth the time and effort, doesn't it?

Energize, Inc.
5450 Wissahickon Ave., C-13
Philadelphia PA 19144
http://www.energizeinc.com/