One immediate lesson that I took away from this reading is that it is truly the BEST move to do something you love as a job. Because, while I was reading this, all I was imagining were sales jobs and marketing and it kind of made me want to cry. In a job that one doesn’t like, of course you’ll be a sheep! You don’t care to do more, you don’t care to know more, and you’ll only do what’s mandatory.
When I changed lenses though, I imagined a job I liked. Like publishing or editing or something. That’s something I would work to get better at. Go to workshops, go to readings, read, read, and read. Because my values and my interests would line up with my job. Of course, the reading seemed… almost too peachy to me. Work is work, granted I’ve never had a job outside of being a barista (which sucks), but I’ve heard from friends and family that there are always gonna be days you just have to grind through.
Finally, I want to say that I really love the idea of redefining our notions of leaders and followers. Followers SHOULD see themselves as equals to their leaders in the workplace, and if the leader expects anything else… they have a complex! I also really appreciated that the author said an effective follower and a leader share many of the same qualities, as they should. Yet they do mention that leaders get paid more, they’re celebrated more, it’s viewed as better. Could that possibly change? Would people still want to lead if the pay was the same? Maybe then only people who WANTED to lead would.
I really liked some of your points! Specifically your statement “You don’t care to do more, you don’t care to know more, and you’ll only do what’s mandatory.” I think for one to do a job well one has to actually care and want to do their best, which is almost always more than what is necessary. Also! I liked your point about how followers should see themselves as equals to their leaders.
I like your point about how leaders and followers should be equal in the work place, but I think there’s an important distinction to be made. While they should be considered equal in every sense, there should be awareness of their skill differences and why the leader is in their position. I also liked how you related your points to your own personal interests.
I think you make a compelling argument about the dynamics of the workplace and how people should interact and view each other to increase how good they are at their role.
“Effective followers differ in their motivations for following and in their perceptions of the role. Some choose followership as their primary role at work and serve as team players who take satisfaction in helping to further a cause, an idea, a product, a service, or, more rarely, a person.” This quote, in particular, stands out to me because it all depends on what drives people and it can be the same thing.