We’ve been taught to admire leaders and underestimate followers.
“Leader” sounds like victory, control, direction.
“Follower” often sounds like submission, limitation—even failure.
But that story is incomplete.
Because the most conscious leaders I’ve met share a surprising trait:
they are exceptional at following.
I do not mean follow blindly, neither passively. But consciously, with a deep understanding of what they are doing. With presence. With meticulous reliability.
One conversation that stayed with me was with a colleague, Matt, someone who shares my passion for learning. He once told me that when he was managing larger teams, he often felt as though he was reporting to them rather than the other way around. His role, as he described it, was to support, coach, and truly understand each individual—their challenges, motivations, and what they needed to succeed. That perspective reshaped how he saw leadership. It wasn’t about authority or control, but about service. In many ways, this captures the essence of conscious leadership: understanding that decision-making is not an exercise of power, but an act of responsibility toward others. A conscious leader recognizes that one of their most important tasks is to grow their people. I find his perspective both humbling and accurate, and it reinforces a belief I hold strongly—that leadership, when practiced as service, grounded in listening and giving, is still far too rare in today’s corporate culture.
Conscious leaders know that leadership is not just about being in front—it’s about knowing when to step back, listen deeply, align with purpose, and thrive with people who execute with discipline.
If we want better leaders, we need to talk about better followership. Here are a few tips on how to become a better follower.
- Listen Like It Matters – Because It Does
Active listening is not waiting for your turn to speak. It’s the discipline of quieting your ego while someone else is talking. It means paying attention not only to words, but to pauses, tone, and what is left unsaid.
When you listen without defensiveness, you start catching signals others miss. You reduce blind spots. You create psychological safety. You make better decisions in your sphere of influence and leaders praise you for it. It is called initiative.
This is an area where I still have work to do. Experience sometimes tricks us into thinking we’re faster, sharper—that we can anticipate the end of someone’s sentence. But in doing so, we miss nuance, context, and often the most important insight. Being quick is not the same as being effective. I am working to get better and I have plenty of examples to imitate around me.
- Let Purpose Be Your Compass
Many years ago, my mentor told me: “The best corporate politics is not playing politics at all.” He was right.
Chasing recognition might bring small, short-term wins. But over time, people see through it. It limits your career and erodes trust. When you prioritize the team’s objective over personal credit, something shifts.
- You build trust.
- You elevate performance.
- You improve the environment.
And here’s the paradox: when you stop chasing recognition, it tends to find you anyway.
- Make Things Happen
Ideas are easy. Execution is rare.
One of the simplest—and most powerful—measures of leadership is this:
Can you make things happen? I have always applied the measuring stick when trying to evaluate performance of myself and others.
Great followers turn ideas into plans. And plans into results. With consistency.
Strategy without execution is just intention. And intention doesn’t move organizations forward. Reliability in bringing results is leadership.by example.
- Invite—and Use—Feedback
Being open to feedback is not enough.
You need to act on it. And you also need to give it. That is where growth happens. Great followers have the courage to challenge upward—and great leaders create space for that challenge. In some cultures, this is natural, for example in the Netherlands. In others, hierarchy makes it harder, for example Spain or Russia.
My advice? Once the organigram is clear—burn it. Once the responsibilities are clear, create an environment where dissent is safe. Where pushback is expected. Where people can disagree without fear. Even when feedback is imperfect, it expands perspective and sharpens decisions. And next time, it will be even better.
- Stay Coachable
Feedback is not a threat—it’s fuel. The moment you think you’ve “figured it out” is the moment you stop growing.
- Stay open.
- Stay curious.
- Stay adaptable.
Because the leaders who keep learning are the ones who stay relevant.
Conscious Tip #35
Today, choose one conversation where you will fully listen—without interrupting, anticipating, or preparing your response.
Just listen.
Notice what you pick up that you would normally miss.
Notice how the other person responds.
Notice how your perspective shifts.
Because the fastest way to become a better leader…is to become a better follower.