GENUINE COLLABORATION: Equality Dance, The Role of Your Choice

By André Solomon

Lukewarm. That’s one way to describe the early October evening in Pittsburgh when my friend and I met at a local coffee shop to strategize about our newest venture: Make Music PGH. Though we were surrounded by the sounds of coffee-making and the chattering of people, it felt as if it was only us in the room. With our established trust and mutual drive, beautiful collaborations were possible—the kind where you felt understood and heard. But not all collaborations feel this way. For example, as I neared the end of a recent project, logging onto Zoom became frustrating. The team was doing meaningful work, but I questioned the client’s intentions. I felt small as the power was limited to a select few. Teammates were aware, but I sensed complacency. We continued catering to the client, and my hesitancies were swept under the rug. 

These two experiences taught me that Genuine Collaboration requires an acceptance that all are knowledgeable, regardless of one’s status in the equation. Whether a leader or follower, excellence can be properly honored and utilized if one is conscious about the platinum rule (“Treat others as they want to be treated”), empathetic enough to step back and understand another’s perspective, and use their privilege to elevate others. 

Horizontal Organizations

At Creative Generation we believe that “Youth Create Change.” Therefore, it’s natural that both creativity and imagination are frequently sourced from our collective. Here, teamwork, collaboration, and the exchange of ideas are rooted in our decision-making processes, which empowers our sense of leadership as collective voice is continually integrated into the fabric of our operations. 

As a startup, this type of structure is typical due to fewer employees and less reliance on hierarchical management. However, more modern organizations align to this structure as it allows for greater equity and transparency, and limits bureaucracy. For example, fewer levels of management simplifies internal communication and enables fast decision-making, and because the layers of middle management are removed, power and responsibility are divided evenly throughout the organization. 

Yet, how do you successfully scale as the organization grows? Or, how do you ensure justice is at the forefront? 

Lean In

“What I’m invested in is threatened if you’re telling the truth.” - Brené Brown

Yolanda Contreras writes: 

“In my experience, it seems that white people have a hard time coming to terms with power that is evenly distributed because they’re simply not used to that. I’ve seen them struggle with this because, let’s be real, white people are usually the ones in positions of power. In the absence of bosses, time and again, it’s the white people that try to step up and act like they’re the ones in charge. BIPOC have always been told that we are not the ones to lead, yet white people don’t seem to have any reservations assuming leadership roles. They seem to be unable to let go of traditional harmful practices because they want and need these power structures in place — because it directly benefits them.” 

Though horizontal structures have many benefits, power can be contentious. Leadership, within this flat orientation, can evoke murky definitions, for example, who do you turn to when you need support or how do you hold people accountable to assign tasks when power differentials are at play? 

Overall, the benefits far outweigh the disadvantages. However, it requires trusting yourself and relying on others. And for those accustomed to traditional hierarchies and power structures, lean into the uncomfortable and embrace a collective voice that gives everyone the opportunity to shine. 

*Dances in Perspective*

Every leader can be a follower, and every follower can be a leader.  

Followership 

For some, the term “followership” might be a backhanded compliment, especially as many things in life teach us to be good leaders but not good followers. 

Think back to kindergarten, do you remember following the “line leader”? To be the line leader was a thrill to some and anxiety-provoking for others, but that line leader was highly regarded. Yet, what about the rest of the line? Some identify that everyone in the line matters as each person is charged with being both the leader and the follower. Even the last person in the line sees all to inform the leader, while the line leader points us in the right direction using feedback from the followers. However, you can spot those individuals who reject followership, those who do not consider others. 

Therefore, what does “good” followership look like? 

  • Don’t orbit around the leader. Followers and leaders orbit together around a common purpose. They work in partnership committed to shared values and causes.

  • Passionate about their work and the people they serve. If they experience a loss of passion for their work and organization, they’re not content to accept it as normal.

  • Defend their leaders when they encounter complaints being made behind the leader’s back. But they will also respectfully challenge a leader if they present questionable ideas or behavior.

  • Strive to be self-aware and seek feedback on their performance so that they can identify both strengths and areas for growth.

  • Have their own interests, such as personal growth—but they ensure that their interests align with the mission of an organization, rather than compete with it.

Using Ira Chaleff’s work, A Celebration of Followership, Dr. Chipp Windham, instructor in Bethel’s M.A. in Strategic Leadership program, identifies types of followers: 

  • Exemplary follower: Exemplary followers have a high level of active engagement and high level of independent critical thinking thinking. Characteristics of an exemplary follower include a willingness to take initiative, provide constructive criticism, assume ownership, and champion the goals of the organization.

  • Conformist follower: Conformist followers have high levels of active engagement but lower levels of critical thinking. They are active “doers” who are often seen as team players. They’re willing to accept assignments and are trusting of leaders, but often they will put the needs of the organization over their own.

  • Passive follower: Passive followers tend to fall on the lower end of both engagement and critical thinking. They follow the leader without question, but need consistent direction. They might be the kind of person who puts in their time, but little more, and they may believe that the organization and its leaders are uninterested in their ideas.

  • Alienated follower: Alienated followers have high levels of independent critical thinking but are low in engagement. They often see themselves as people with a healthy level of skepticism, but others might see them as cynical and not a team player. They might feel like their leader doesn’t fully recognize or utilize their talent.

  • Pragmatist follower: Pragmatist followers have moderate levels of engagement and critical thinking. They may feel like their work environment is full of uncertainty and tend to see where things go before they take action. They are sometimes perceived by others as people who play political games, but they typically see themselves as people who know how to work the system to get things done.

Which one are you? Did you place yourself in the exemplary follower category? Windham would recommend taking a second look. “A lot of people think they are innately exemplary followers when they’re really not,” he says. “85-90% of people tend to place themselves in the exemplary follower category, but that’s just not realistic. If you’re just honest with yourself about where you land, it makes it much easier to identify what your needs are and what types of workplace environments work for you.”

¿Porque No Los Dos?

All this to say that one cannot meaningfully examine leadership without followership, the converse equally true. As Laurie T. Schell mentions in her advocacy work, “...achieving a balcony perspective means taking yourself out of the dance… [to] gain both a clearer view of reality and some perspective on the bigger picture by distancing yourself from the fray.” Therefore, the interplay between leader and follower is a give-and-take, with each helping the other to shine. 

This requires a leader who is genuinely thinking about the people and adapts to followers rather than expecting vice versa. Therefore, how do leaders manifest Abundance (enough success for everyone) and Creative Tension (allow for debate while keeping things objective before making a final decision)? 

New Futures

Who benefits from the status quo? Obviously, it depends on the circumstance, but the phase itself has a privileged connotation. Rejecting a commonly rewarded framework takes both willingness and risk. Fortunately, “...our increasing access to technology and efforts to uplift the interconnectedness between communities has allowed us to collectively speak up about injustice.” Something might not look overtly “anti-justice,” but even elements of complacency or willful blindness harm others. Therefore, horizontal organizations and notions of followership can be steps towards transformation. “But  …we cannot transform the world unless our relationships are transformative, instead of transactional. This requires having visions of possibilities where we have the capacity to dream, and ask ourselves: What is the world we wish to create?” 

Whether work or personal, relationships are based on collaboration, person to person, and requires embracing community, relationship building, and not losing sight of building a better tomorrow.