Rather it is a process whereby followers engage in constructively critical thinking, and interact with and support the leader to help achieve a task. It is not subservience or passive obedience to orders. It is a social relationship between the leader, followers and the group. What is followership? Followership is the response of people in subordinate positions to those in senior ones. Health services around the world would not function without the support of the majority of their staff who are not in leadership positions. Bill Gates may have founded and led Microsoft but could not have achieved success without the followers that worked for him. “Always be a leader, never a follower” is emblazoned on one leading cyclist’s shoes. Unfortunately advertising ascribes leadership with all the positive aspects of success and falsely depicts followers as docile and impotent. This reflects modern culture’s emphasis on leadership and its tendency to overlook the less glamorous but vital role of followership. The concept of followership has a very important part to play in the success of any group task. When acting in committees or teams they will still often be required to follow. Even when fully registered as consultants or general medical practitioners, doctors will not always be the leader. Nevertheless, doctors spend a large part of their careers in training as followers, accountable to a more senior doctor. Doctors are seen by society as leaders and frequently take on leadership roles both at work and in the community.
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