Followership is defined as the willingness to cooperate in working toward the accomplishment of defined goals while demonstrating a high degree of interactive teamwork. Effective followers are active participants (partners) in creating the leadership process. Followers permit leaders to establish and keep themselves in control of a situation that is productive, efficient, and people-oriented.

The role of followers is not to be mindlessly implementing the ideas of leaders. Their role is to help the leaders become effective while remaining true to their own values and essential needs, demonstrating self-management skills, and being effective individual contributors, even in the absence of leadership.