| Home | eBooks |
| Devotions | Podcasts |
| Articles | Church Suppliers |
| Videos | Our Writers |
| About Us | Find Church Jobs |
Allen Hamlin Jr’s book Embracing Followership: How to Thrive in a Leader-Centric Culture is a fascinating look at the unique nature of followership, its relation to leadership, and the critical way it builds the kingdom and enhances the body of Christ. This work dives into the topics of influence and authority, formal and informal power structures, and is reminiscent of John Maxwell’s 5 Levels of Leadership, Mike Bonem & Roger Patterson’s Leading From The Second Chair, and Clay Scroggin’s How To Lead When You’re Not In Charge.However, Hamlin’s approach is unique in that it focuses specifically on the follower. Here are three areas that stood out to m
Hamlin does a masterful job of conveying the idea that followership is a noble calling, worthy of much esteem and great respect. Being a good follower is a good thing! It is an important, vital and noble role. Followers, Hamlin suggests, are courageous, add value and are worthy of admiration.
He contrasts the real character qualities of good followers with the stereotypical ideas about followers—that they are introverted, second-class, unconfident, lemming-like, life sucking, wanna-be leaders. But nothing could be further from the truth. Followers are just as important as leaders.
Hamlin defines followership as a compliment to leadership. Instead of being diametrically opposed to leadership, followership is a necessary and vital part of the package. Most endeavors require both leaders and followers to accomplish intended results. Thus, leaders are not leaders without followers. Leaders and followers need each other and form a unique synergy that gets results.
The leader-follower relationship is the classic definition of a reciprocal relationship—a mutually beneficial and vital association satisfying both party’s individual needs without detracting from the health of the other. Just as crocodiles let birds pick leeches off their gums, cleaning their teeth and keeping them free from infections, leaders and followers work together to accomplish the greater good.
Hamlin goes into great detail about the complex and multifaceted relationships of followers. He examines peer relationships between followers and other followers, as well as hierarchal relationships between followers and leaders. Each relationship has unique aspects that he expounds upon and gives insights into maintaining healthy interactions with coworkers.
Hamlin brings up an interesting concept of power distance. He quotes Dutch social psychologist Geert Hofstede and says, “ ‘power distance’…derives its name from…the emotional distance that separates subordinates from their bosses.” When the power distance is low, the follower has a high degree of emotional and physical access to the leader. There is interdependence between the two parties and trust-filled consultations between follower and leader.
But when the power distance is high, there is less access and flexibility within the relational structure. One’s proximity to the leader determines the power distance and has many implications in typical boss-subordinate relationships.
This idea can encourage us to consider our own relationships with our leaders and followers, and also how best to shrink the power distance to improve trust, communication and collaboration.
I found Hamlin’s work to be interesting, deep and thought-provoking. I would read a paragraph and then quickly consider my own work and contemplate how the ideas related to my experiences. Then I’d go back and re-read! If you want to successfully navigate the complex relational issues of leading and following, this is a great resource. Whether you consider yourself a follower, a leader, or somewhere in between,Embracing Followership is worth the read.
Embracing Followership also has an available corresponding study guide for teams and small groups.
 | Mark J. Lenz is the president for the Society for Church Consulting whose mission is to revitalize and advance churches by training leaders and certifying consultants. Learn More » |
Have you ever felt the pull to full-time ministry work as a missionary or pastor? If not, you can still make a Kingdom impact without quitting your current job. In this eBook, you will learn the four essentials that can change your perspective of work, your workplace, and most importantly, your heart.
 | Catherine Gates is a speaker, author and writer. She is Executive Director for Women in … |
 | Scott Couchenour has a combined 30 years of experience in ministry, business and entrepreneurship. He … |
 | Maurie Daigneau is a retired business owner/entrepreneur and author of the newly-published book The Gospel … |
 | Copyright © 2025 Networld Media Group, LLC. All rights reserved. |
Already a member? Sign in below.
