Elevate your leadership through followership
Why are elevators some of the most awkward collections of humanity?
Most people experience little more than uncomfortable stares at the walls, ceiling or the panel marking current floor status. Staring at the panel offers the relief that one is indeed headed in the right direction, and will eventually be able to step out of this container and be freed of this awkwardness. Thankfully, smartphones (if they maintain signal) give us something to fix our attention on and alleviate a little of our discomfort.
Ultimately, elevator rides are a group of people, defined only by the walls of a metal box in which they temporarily reside while heading merely in the same most basic direction (up or down). There’s no identity, no shared purpose that requires any sort of contribution (i.e., no work), no structure and usually no communication.
I wonder what it was like in the days when elevator operators (lift attendants) were commonplace. Although many of the above realities were still true, at least there was a human presence that provided some sense of engagement, service and leadership.
Certainly, if an elevator gets stuck, there’s a whole new experience of that metal-box dynamic. Suddenly, there’s more of a shared purpose and some work to do together.
In life, it’s possible to just wander on and off elevators. You can move around on your own, get to where you want to be, and endure plenty of awkwardness.
Or, there’s the opportunity for someone to come alongside of you, an usher to guide you onto the elevator, engage you while you’re on the journey, perhaps even disembark with you at your destination floor and maybe even join you for a future ride.
More than just a personal attendant, what if that person happens to know everyone else on the elevator or indeed most of the people in the entire building? Now, their connection with you isn’t just companionship, it’s an opening to many avenues of camaraderie. You are riding in a vehicle that is part of a larger enterprise.
Want more engagement with your team?
1. Find a leader within your team who can foster followership among the group. Then your journey as a leader will be a time for camaraderie rather than a gauntlet to be endured.
2. Promote the same kind of environment for others. Even as an informal leader, invite others into a community of common purpose, engagement and collaboration.
This kind of service-based leadership will ensure that you don’t experience the ups and downs alone, but have a team that can support you.
This article was first published on embracingfollowership.com. Used with permission.
Photo source: istock
 | Allen Hamlin Jr. has worked with an international Christian non-profit organization since 2006. His role has primarily consisted of providing team development training and consultation, along with mentoring and member care, to multiethnic teams serving around the world. Allen has a deep appreciation for the values and tensions associated with serving in and alongside of cultures outside of one’s country of origin. |
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