The discussion focused on the current state and future of followership as an academic and practical field. The speaker noted that followership has matured into a distinct scholarly domain but remains underrecognized in mainstream leadership conversations, with adoption and practice lagging behind intellectual progress. They highlighted promising developments, such as new research framing leadership and followership as fluid roles, increased attention to ethics, and the impact of social media and AI on followership dynamics. The speaker also provided updates on their textbook, which has been adopted by 35 colleges and universities, and announced the upcoming 5th Global Followership Conference in July. The session concluded with a question about the potential for followership to be fully recognized and rewarded in leadership-centric organizational cultures.
The group discussed generational shifts in leadership and followership, with Mark and others noting that younger generations, including Millennials and Gen Z, are less interested in traditional management roles due to factors like health concerns, financial incentives, and a desire to influence without formal authority. Maike shared research findings that younger people are avoiding management positions due to witnessing the negative impacts on their parents' well-being, while Leah emphasized the need for organizational culture shifts to empower employees and reduce bottlenecks. The discussion concluded with Mike exploring how hierarchy has evolved since the Industrial Revolution and its impact on depersonalization in the workplace.
The group discussed followership and education, with Yvonne highlighting how modern education systems focus on rote learning rather than creativity and critical thinking, which could be exacerbated by AI. Debra shared insights from her teaching experience on the challenges of introducing followership concepts, noting that even advanced students often struggle with the paradigm shift. Maike emphasized the importance of simplifying followership messages for different audiences, focusing on planting a seed of understanding rather than overwhelming listeners with detailed information. The discussion concluded with Mike suggesting that teaching followership in an empowering and realistic way involves providing practical strategies for courage and constructive engagement, rather than simply encouraging dissent.
The group discussed the evolution of followership in response to generational changes, particularly focusing on Gen Z's expectations for flatter hierarchies and distributed authority. Marc suggested that followership models need to be updated and taught as skills rather than traits, while Jaye highlighted the importance of passion and context in nonprofit and religious organizations. The conversation also touched on the potential for incorporating followership into college applications, with Marc proposing that students demonstrate their followership capabilities alongside leadership skills.
The group discussed an ethical crisis at Texas A&M University involving a professor, AI-generated evidence against the president, and the removal of a dean. Jen shared her concerns about the situation and asked how followers can engage and make an impact in such crises. Maike and Marc agreed that followership is important for resisting inappropriate leadership and suggested that more resources should be dedicated to followership training rather than leadership training. The discussion concluded with Mike sharing contact information and encouraging further engagement on the topics discussed.