In today’s corporate world, people are craving effective leadership. Middle level managers and their team members are overburdened and uninspired by individuals holding titled positions of authority providing neither effective leadership nor effective management. The issue is not change resistance. Peter Senge said it well, “People do not resist change. They resist being changed.” Knowledge based workers desire true leadership that capitalizes on collaboration, communication, and connection to accomplish their work related to clear goals and objectives.

One of the strongest ways an influential leader can connect with others is by practicing the principle of followership. Followership is a leader’s willingness to listen to those for whom they are responsible. “Listening to me” is the highest rated attribute for an effective leader by direct reports. Effective listening creates a connection between the leader and the legitimate needs, wants, and desires of team members.

By paying attention to members of the team, through active listening, a leader gains insight and information to the factors that drive performance. Peter Drucker said, “Everybody writes books about leadership. Somebody ought to write a book about followership, because for every leader there are a thousand followers.” Although followership is an age-old concept and several books have been written about it, the concept is still a novelty to many in titled positions of authority.

Neuroscience research tells us that it is only through a positive emotional connection that people come together in a collaborative relationship. Positive emotional connections are driven by positive behaviour competencies underpinned with the skill of Positive Presence. As leaders we should be asking ourselves daily, is the behaviour I am engaging in drawing people towards me or away from me? Understanding the elements of what endears our team members to us is essential to understanding the great impact that connection has in driving performance in the workplace.