When one of my colleagues came to me last week, she told me about a seminar she had attended where Barbara Kellermann talked about  Followership. This was the first time I had heard this term (at least in English) and it made me think.

When I look what makes a company or country, it is ultimately its people. It is not only the leaders who define strategy and prescribe execution – it is all of us who actually execute and work towards the strategic goals. When things don’t go as planned (i.e., wrong) it is an easy excuse to point to the leaders – but in reality it is each and everyone of us – we’re all responsible. If we follow bad orders, act against common sense and good morals, we’re just as guilty as the people who issued these orders.

It comes down to civil courage, taking personal responsibility and accepting the risk of doing so. If my employees live up to these ideals, I know my organization will work better and be more effective, than if they were just to follow orders without reflection. I am glad to be working in a research environment, where most things get decided rather by debate than authority – and this is not only true for questions of science but also for everything else.