Followership Quotes

“The leaders and followers of the Harlem Renaissance were every bit as intent on using Black culture to help make the United States a more functional democracy as they were on employing Black culture to 'vindicate' Black people.”
― Aberjhani, Encyclopedia of the Harlem Renaissance

“It's really important for our company to have a culture of healthy leadership and also healthy followership. We don't want to over emphasize leadership because it's not the most important thing. Leadership is important, followership is important, and collaboration is important.”
― Hendrith Vanlon Smith Jr, CEO of Mayflower-Plymouth

“Every true leader is a true follower. Every true follower is a true leader. You are followed because of the dreams you pursue; you pursue others because of the dreams they follow!”
― Israelmore Ayivor, Leaders' Watchwords

“A leader who people do not perceive as worthy of following is really not a leader at all.”
― Hendrith Vanlon Smith Jr, Business Leadership: The Key Elements

“Leadership is the ability to make things happen.”
― Ifeanyi Enoch Onuoha

“The more people I am able to help, the more people are willing to help others. The more followers we have, the closer we are to a perfect world.”
― Akilnathan Logeswaran

“Demand maximum effort from people.”
― Sunday Adelaja

“The answer is always "No" until you ask. - Ref James 4:2”
― Charles S. Stamper, DAILY VICTORY: 40 Day Devotional Inspired by the United States Armed Forces

“A leader is one who travels the path carved out by him, and he ‘leads’ himself onward on that path. If his path is good and his goals are desirable, many more may follow him in their desire to achieve the same goal. Hence, followership is the effect of leadership and not its cause.”
― Awdhesh Singh, The Secret Red Book of Leadership

“The main reason why great leaders are rare is because books on leadership far outsell those on followership.”
― Mokokoma Mokhonoana

“Be a great leader as a moral person, regardless of position, and followship will follow.”
― Richie Norton

“It is not the leaders, with their fiery speech and flashing eye and self-assertiveness, but the masses who respond that produce great achievement.”
― Elgin Groseclose, Ararat

“A gifted rebel is not an asset, he is a liability to the leadership. Your responsibility as a follower is to remain loyal and truth to the higher authority above you.”
― Olawale Daniel

“Truth is that aspect of our being that is right and secure in itself. Truth does not need the support of anything outside of itself. Truth is Self-referral. This means that truth exists in reference to itself. When a timeless leader relentlessly pursues the path of truth, she is able to realize that all that she needs to know already exists in herself. Truthfulness makes a leader spontaneous, like a a flowing river or a blazing fire. Such a leader is not caught in the mind's dogma or prejudices. Indeed, truth is liberating - it liberates both the leader and the follower.”
― Debashis Chatterjee, Timeless Leadership: 18 Leadership Sutras from the Bhagvad Gita

“Submission in a Christian community never equates to a loss of entitlement or power to another.”
― Ubong Ntewo, A Misplaced Priority: A Biblical Vision of Followership and Its Preeminence

“When there’s devastating corruption in a country, it’s bad leadership. When there’s nothing done about it, it’s bad followership — like in Nigeria.”
― Nkwachukwu Ogbuagu

“When there’s devastating corruption in a country, it’s bad leadership. When there’s nothing done about it by those being misruled, it’s bad followership — like in Nigeria.”
― Nkwachukwu Ogbuagu

“A leader whose ego yearns to be 'the boss' is not really a leader at all. Ironically, the insatiable desire for authority renders people incapable of true leadership.”
― Hendrith Vanlon Smith Jr., Business Leadership: The Key Elements

“Lead me, follow me, or get outta my way!”
― Brian Reese

“If you crave genuine followers, then leave the well-paved, smooth road you have been walking on and walk on steep, rocky and jagged frontiers. Whoever follows you there, count on them.”
― Nkwachukwu Ogbuagu

“While we might choose to ignore followership, it can't be avoided.”
― Christian Monö, Why We Follow: Natural Followership in a World Obsessed with Leadership

“We call politicians representatives in the spirit of democracy, yet many of us also refer to them as leaders, suggesting that we, the people, are expected to be led.”
― Christian Monö, Why We Follow: Natural Followership in a World Obsessed with Leadership

“if we look at followership as a complement to leadership, we’re likely to unintentionally adapt our theories so they fit our predetermined view of what a leader is.”
― Christian Monö, Why We Follow: Natural Followership in a World Obsessed with Leadership

“It seems to me that we’re caught in a loop where our preoccupation with leadership amplifies our focus on it.”
― Christian Monö, Why We Follow: Natural Followership in a World Obsessed with Leadership

“Leadership is often described as the art of “inspiring,” “motivating,” or “empowering” others. Leaders are labelled “visionaries,” “catalysts,” and “change agents.” Although these words carry a positive connotation, the fundamental purpose remains the same—to influence the actions and mindset of others.
“When we try to influence someone, we attempt to affect or change their behaviour, thoughts, or development. Thus, one could argue that leadership is about controlling people but without apparent exertion of force or direct exercise of command.”
― Christian Monö, Why We Follow: Natural Followership in a World Obsessed with Leadership

“Leadership isn’t just a discipline; it’s a belief system. And like any belief system, it quietly shapes our thinking. Even people with no interest in leadership carry certain preconceived ideas about leaders and followers.”
― Christian Monö, Why We Follow: Natural Followership in a World Obsessed with Leadership

“If we argue that a leader’s success is determined by how well they get others to perform, why do we focus on leadership and not followership? Why invest in a single individual and ignore everyone else when it’s the performance of the collective that matters? The only logical explanation is that we believe leaders can control the behaviour and actions of others.”
― Christian Monö, Why We Follow: Natural Followership in a World Obsessed with Leadership

“The idea that a single person is capable of altering mankind is common. It’s also wrong. Without support, people like Hitler, Stalin, and Mao would never have been able to gain power in the first place.”
― Christian Monö, Why We Follow: Natural Followership in a World Obsessed with Leadership

“If people can’t be entrusted to decide on important issues affecting their lives and their country, what’s the point of a democracy?”
― Christian Monö, Why We Follow: Natural Followership in a World Obsessed with Leadership

“It’s hard to reflect on the things we take for granted.”
― Christian Monö, Why We Follow: Natural Followership in a World Obsessed with Leadership