Part 2 - How Do You Create Followers?

The first step to creating followers is a sense of purpose. If we don’t have something outside of ourselves to focus on, we have no choice but to turn our gaze inward and focus solely on our own well being. If your team is struggling with a sense of entitlement and self-pity you might be suffering from a lack of purpose. Even though we might be doing good work that benefits others, if we lose our sense of “why” then our motivation slowly grinds to a halt. 

Now let me share with you the second step in creating strong followers. If the purpose you shared requires many hands, then your team needs to not only grasp the purpose and outcome of the work but they need to hear this next critical message. It follows from the first.

Message #2 is “You are needed”.

It’s logical from a leader’s standpoint. I am calling my team to do something that I cannot do myself, therefore I need a certain set of skills that will help me get the job done. This is the essence of leadership...doing your work through others. Never let that simple fact be far from your consciousness as a leader. Your single-most important role is to coral the skills and talents of others and get them working together effectively to accomplish the goal. 

The implication of this is that you comprehend exactly what skills you need and what roles you must fill in order to accomplish the mission. Get clear on that first. Just because someone is on your team doesn’t mean you have a role for them. We often waste our time and other people’s talents by fitting round pegs into square holes. 

But given the fact that you have a clear catalogue in your mind of what you need, the critical step here is to tell your team members that they are needed. 

Not only are we wired to have a purpose, we all have a strong sense of being unique and of having something to offer. We likely aren’t the best at something or the world’s greatest at any one thing, but the combination of our personality, our temperament, our experience, our skill and our passions gives us a unique productivity DNA that we are always looking for an opportunity to deploy.

Imagine searching through a cluttered key ring for the singular key that unlocks the chest of gold. You may have lots of keys but only one or two might fit the lock. When the key pattern matches the lock, the treasure is released. Good things ensue. 

The analogy is so fitting. There is an energy released when we find a match between our ability and a need. Then the purpose that you, as my leader, called me to can become mine, because you need me. You need to communicate clearly that you require my unique and specialized expertise. But more than that, how you need me and what you require of me. 

Then I can see my place in helping you accomplish what you want us to do together. We’re starting to build a team. A sense of ownership begins to awaken.

Do not underestimate the power of this message. Never assume your team members or teammates know they are needed. They need to hear it, they need to internalize it, they need to believe it. Strong leaders say it. Remember…”use your words”. 

Just as the lapping waves ebb away a child's picture drawn on the beach, so too does the ambient noise of our busy lives dissolve the truth that we have something to offer and are needed to help. Your job as the leader is to keep writing the words in the sand...You are needed. 

Think about it.