Elizabeth Barrette (ysabetwordsmith) wrote,
Elizabeth Barrette
ysabetwordsmith
  • Mood: busy

Discussion: Followship

Today's installment of "How to Herd Cats: Essays on Pagan Leadership" covers the opposite side of the coin: "Followship." Almost all the literature about power dynamics is focused on leadership. People often forget that good leaders need good followers. So let's explore that...

Do you think of yourself as a leader, a follower, or some of both? Why?

What do you consider the personal qualities of a good follower?

What are some of the skills of a good follower?

Can followship be taught or learned, or is it innate?

Do followers deserve respect? Why or why not?

How does the wider Pagan community view followers?

What does it mean for a follower to bestow their service on a leader?
Tags: daily spell, paganism
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  • 23 comments
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ysabetwordsmith

ysabetwordsmith

May 6 2008, 05:28:11 UTC 13 years ago

It sounds like you're getting into some interesting new territory. One thing I'm hoping this column will do is get people thinking about alternatives. There's more than one way to do things. If what I've said doesn't suit, but helps you think of something that does, then I've done my job. I'm also taking notes so that I'll be able to explore some of the new ideas in more detail.

So, if you don't like the available buzz words, what are some alternatives? (I'm not much of a "team player" either. I have, however worked with wolf pack imagery in rituals.) How does the terminology and framing affect the structure and effects of followship?

Here's another interesting idea: Suppose someone knows that he comes from a background with really crummy power dynamics. Having no good examples, he's not good at following even when the leader is decent and the task reasonable -- and he's not happy about that. Are there things he can do to work on it? Suppose he encounters a small group of Pagans, many of whom have similar issues, but they all want to organize a monthly "Pagan Night Out" for socializing. What could they do to minimize tension and maximize the chance of success?



wyld_dandelyon

wyld_dandelyon

May 6 2008, 16:07:52 UTC 13 years ago

“How does the terminology and framing affect the structure and effects of followship?”

Oh, I think terminology and framing affect everything.

For instance, you can call someone’s firm stick-to-it-ive-ness stubbornness or will power. Which word “you” use almost always depends on whether you approve of the idea or task they are sticking to, or not. But which word you use in their hearing also affects them and your relationship with them.

I also think that choosing a word to use for “follower” that the followers are comfortable with, and if possible, can even take pride in, will improve the outcome.

Also, if like Alphaviolet, people in the group equate “follower” with “unquestioning”, then using some other word would be good if you want your people to think instead of just acting blindly on your words.

But my belief in the power of words is wider-reaching than any of these examples.

Words are magic.

Words affect our feelings and thoughts, and our logical understanding of things, and these in turn affect and direct our actions.

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