Can you respond to the discussion using the Bufalino and Northhouse references?

I am a better follower than I am a leader. Simply put, I have had many more opportunities to be a follower than a leader. I would argue that nearly everyone on this planet has had a similar experience. And let's keep in mind that from birth, we are followers, learning for several years until we have fully mastered a function. Just like as a child, you must learn to walk before you can run. As a follower and how it applies to leadership, one must be experienced in following in order to understand the commitment to leader/follower relationship. When we don't know how to do something, we look to someone who has done it before, someone who can make sense of the given situation and guide us through it; that is a statement of leadership and followership. Northouse (2022, p.353) describes the relationship between leadership and followership as a "shared process involving the interdependence between leaders and followers in a shared relationship." From that text, to be a leader, you need a follower, and to be a follower, you must have a leader. Bufalino (2018) states that leadership wouldn't be a thing if it weren't for followers, and for a leader to lead and make anyone do anything, the leader needs dedicated followers. Lastly, McCord (2019, 03:51) states that "people can't be what they can't see." This statement aligns with human behavior. From my experience, I believe seeing a leader explain things, do things, and live out those good things makes me want to follow and do those good things, too. In hopes of one day providing that level of leadership to the next generation.

References:

Bufalino, G. (2018). We need great followers, not just great leaders: a brief questionnaire for followership development. Development and learning in Organizations: An International Journal, Vol. 32 Issue: 1, pp. 1-3. https://doi.org/10.1108/DLO-04-2017-0040Links to an external site.

Northouse, P. G. (2022). Leadership: Theory & practice. Ninth edition. Sage.