A Followers Four Basic Needs

While it is important to be a leader, it is also important to realize that sometimes we are followers. As a follower we need to realize what the four basic needs are. If we are aware of the needs we have as a follower, we will be more productive and the team work will flow more smoothly. In the book Strength Based Leadership they say that trust, compassion, stability, and hope are the four basic needs of followers.

In an article called Leadership: Followers Four Basic Needs, the writer questions whether he is providing these needs to others. It is very important to trust your leader. If there is a team that does not trust the leader or a team where they do not know each other well, the team will not work as efficiently and will work at a slower speed. Once a team has built trust, they will soon gain honesty, integrity  and respect for both the team and the individuals. For people to be engaged in their work, they want the leader to feel compassion for them. They do not just want a compassionate leader, they want a positive workplace environment. The third and in my opinion the most important need is stability. In and interview with the writers of Strength Based Leadership, the Gallup Business Journal asks how a leader can provide stability. They go on to explain that at a basic level people want and need to have at least a belief in job security. If leaders are constantly think about how they are creating security and stability then the followers will feel stability within the team. The fourth and last need that followers have is they want hope. When leaders give followers a sense that the future will be more successful than the present, people will feel more motivation to work. Hope gives workers the motivation to be more successful and work harder to reach a goal.

As a leader and occasional follower, we should be aware of these four needs. If we are aware of these needs we can be more successful and efficient. These four needs will help us become better followers and in turn better leaders. Knowing these four needs not only helps us know what we need as followers, but can also help us as leaders. As a leader it is important to be sure to show your followers these needs. I hope that this gives us a new light upon how to be a good leader and an effective follower.