Greetings!
As we enter the new year, I begin with hope. Though the COVID-19 pandemic is ever-present, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all medical personnel for their continued dedication and sacrifice, and to all responsible citizens of the world for their persistent efforts in taking care of one another.
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In the Chinese zodiac, 2022 is the year of the tiger. This powerful creature represents courage, determination, and a strong sense of justice. I wish you all health and success in whatever plans you have for the new year, along with tiger-inspired strength and courage to realize them.
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ILA 23rd GLOBAL CONFERENCE |
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I was very pleased to see that for the first time, ILA offered significant space to followership. Below is a list of successful sessions in which my colleagues and I approached the subject of followership from a wide variety of perspectives: |
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Plenary - Reimagining Followership Together
Barbara Kellerman, Peter Cunningham, Amanda Ellis, Cynthia Cherrey, Michael Chikeleze
Presentation | Two Sides of The Medallion: Leadership and Followership as a Social System
Wajeeha Ghias, Ibukun Alegbeleye, Malcolm North, Sarah Chace, Craig Johnson
Panel | Reimagining the Toxic Triangle: How Courageous Followers Can Stand Up To Highly Destructive Leaders
Ira Chaleff, Wendy Edmonds, Alain de Sales, Basil Read
Presentation | Dark Side of Followership: How Toxic Behaviors Influence Leader-Follower Dynamics and Leadership Outcomes
Craig Johnson, Wendy Edmonds, Davitta Ealy, Kevin Lowe
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Panel | A Celebration of Followership: Reviewing the History, Reimagining the Future
Ira Chaleff, Ronald Riggio
Panel | Followership Education and Reimagining Its Place in Leadership Education
Malcolm North, Dan Jenkins, Wajeeha Ghias, Eric Kaufman, Abdurrahim Hocagil, Tom Sechrest
Panel | How to Build a Global Community—Followership & Leadership Educators Together @TeachingFollowersCourage.com
Alain de Sales, Claudia Caldeirinha, Sharna Fabiano, Muhsin Nurhadi
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Also noteworthy is that in at least sixteen other sessions, on different topics altogether, the concept of followership came up in discussion or as a related reference.
All online sessions were videotaped and made available to those who registered for the conference's virtual leg through the end of 2021. I am currently working to make them available to the general public in the coming year.
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COLLEAGUES DOING IMPORTANT WORK |
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As the followership community continues to grow, many are creating new and unique resources to help integrate the practice of followership into our work. One such project I would like to highlight is the Lead & Follow podcast by Sharna Fabiano. Here are some words about the project directly from Sharna: |
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To explore what followership looks and feels like in a variety of work environments, I’ve taken great delight this year in recording a series of conversations for the Lead & Follow Podcast. My guests are scholars, consultants, artists, gamers, and working professionals. Their insights prove just how essential it is to follow skillfully and intentionally, and to be able to switch between leading and following roles when necessary. |
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For example, Actor Dan Istrate explains, “You cannot play the king. By the way the other actors behave, they make you the king". And Instructional Designer, Tara Laidlaw reminds us, "There’s a place to be a leader as a student, but that depends on your teacher being willing to step into the follower role.” These and many other insights reveal that balanced leading and following is at the heart of all healthy teams and relationships. I invite you to be inspired by these stories, and to share them with those you live and work with. |
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