Great Leadership Is About Followship, Not Just Leadership

I was recently asked by my Instagram Coach, @amandahughes.uk what question I would like to ask Maxine Laceby, Co-Founder of Absolute Collagen, as Amanda was preparing to interview Maxine for her podcast The Growth Addicts Podcast. So, I kept it simple:

What makes you a good leader?

But her answer stopped me in my tracks:

"What makes me a great leader is I don’t lead, I get people to follow. I think you need followship.”

That phrase has been playing on repeat in my mind ever since.

So often, we think of leadership as being about influence, vision, or the ability to inspire. But what if real leadership isn’t about us at all? What if it’s about the people we lead - how they feel, how they grow, and how they choose to follow?

This idea of followship shifts the focus. Instead of asking:

“How can I be a better leader?” we start asking, “Why would people want to follow me?”

What Is Followship?

Followship is the willingness and choice of individuals to support, contribute, and align with a leader’s vision. But it’s more than that - it’s also about engagement, trust, and ownership. Maxine says: “You have to create a scenario where they (your team) can trust you… and you need to allow them to get things wrong every now and again.”

A leader without followers is just someone with an idea. True leadership is about creating an environment where people want to follow, not because they have to, but because they believe in you, your values, and the shared mission.

So, what does this mean for leadership for everyone else in companies and businesses across the world? It means stepping away from the mindset of control and stepping into the mindset of service, trust, and empowerment.

How to Build Followship in Your Team

If great leadership is about followship, how do we create it?

1. Be Someone Worth Following

It’s easy to assume that people follow leaders because of their position or authority. But in reality, people follow those they respect, trust, and feel connected to.

Being a leader worth following means:

·      Acting with integrity and consistency

·      Demonstrating competence and confidence in your role

·      Showing genuine care for your team’s success, not just your own

·      Being honest and transparent, even when the truth is uncomfortable

Your job isn’t just to direct, it’s to model the behaviours, attitudes, and values that inspire followership.

2. Listen More Than You Speak

People don’t follow leaders who talk at them. They follow leaders who make them feel heard.

Leadership isn’t about having all the answers; it’s about co-creating solutions with your team. Ask questions. Invite ideas. Genuinely listen to feedback. When people feel their voices matter, they become invested in the journey, and that’s when true followership begins.

3. Empower People to Take Ownership

A leader who micromanages or hoards decision-making power is not fostering followship. True followship happens when people feel they have agency and influence.

Empower your team by:

·      Encouraging independent thinking and problem-solving

·      Giving people meaningful responsibilities and trusting them to deliver

·      Recognising and celebrating their contributions

·      Celebrating mistakes which you and your team have learned from

When people feel ownership over their work, they don’t just follow - they lead in their own way.

4. Lead with Empathy and Understanding

Followship is built on relationships, and relationships thrive on empathy.

A leader who genuinely sees and supports their team as human beings - not just employees - is a leader worth following. This means:

·      Understanding what motivates each individual

·      Being mindful of personal and professional challenges

·      Creating a culture where people feel safe to be themselves

·      Sharing your own vulnerabilities and experiences to build connection

When people feel valued and understood, they don’t just comply with leadership; they connect with it.

5. Inspire, Don’t Dictate

People follow ideas, missions, and values - not orders.

If you want people to follow you, give them something bigger than a to-do list. Share your vision with clarity and passion. Be guided by your moral compass, your why. Maxine talks about her North Star, who is her female persona who she things about in every decision she makes. What will be the impact for ‘her’? This keeps Maxine and her team focused and driven towards improving the lives of people like ‘her’. So, what can you do to help your team see how their work contributes to something meaningful. Create a culture where the “why” is as important as the “what.”

Great leaders don’t just set direction; they make people feel excited to walk the path alongside them.

Shifting the Leadership Mindset

This shift from leadership to followship challenges traditional views of power and authority. It’s not about being the loudest voice in the room. It’s not about commanding respect, it’s about earning it. It’s not about leading from the front or standing at the top; it’s about walking with your people, side by side.

So, if you’re asking yourself, How can I be a better leader?, maybe the better question is:

"Why would people want to follow me?"

And if you don’t like the answer, what can you do to change it?

Let’s lead in a way that makes people want to follow. Not out of obligation, but out of belief, trust, and shared purpose.

That’s what real leadership is all about.

I highly recommend you listen to Maxine and Amanda, especially if you are a business owner. Maxine’s journey is truly incredible, but it’s her humility that shines throughout the interview, and I’m in no way surprised that her people follow her.