On Monday, I did a post on the traits that leaders need to survive and thrive through this economy.  As a follow-up, Rick Telberg, of CPA Trendlines, asked what the essential traits of “followers” were in this economy.

I think my 4-year old son summed it up the best.  He started junior kindergarten last week.  In his classroom, there is a set of rules that the children must follow.  The number one rule is to “Respect those in authority.”  When we asked my son if he remembered what the number one rule was, he replied “Inspect those in authority.”

You will notice that the traits that a follower needs, align closely with the traits that a leader needs.  Followers need to “inspect” their leaders more than ever before.  They need to have a clear understanding of the leader’s vision and where he is taking them.   It will be extremely hard to work toward a common vision with a leader if you do not know what that vision is.

Followers also need to “inspect” the underlying values of a leader.  Is this someone that they want to follow?  Do your leader’s core beliefs, values, and ethics align with yours?  If not, perhaps it is time to follow someone else.   If they align closely, that is even more reason to put your nose to the grindstone to work toward the leader’s vision.

Just like leaders, followers must maintain a positive attitude.  Followers must resist the temptation to get drawn in to the negative talk that may be going on around them.  Turn the negative thoughts into positive actions toward the vision.  No one ever achieved a goal by moaning and complaining about it.

When things get tough – followers need to get tougher.  Stay persistent in working toward the vision and following your leader – even if he adjusts the vision.   Whenever there is a strong call for persistence and extra effort to get things accomplished, there is usually “negative” attitude that creeps in from someone somewhere.  As stated above, resist this urge. 

Take Care of Your Organization’s Customers.  There isn’t a single employee at any company who is not there to help serve the customers in some way.  Make sure the customers are taken care of.  Without them, no one in your organization has a job, not even your leader.

Rick Telberg of CPA Trendlines asked the question, “What are the essential elements for leaders and managers to succeed in this economy?”   I do not think that these essential elements change so much depending upon the economy.  A truly great leader will possess these qualities regardless of the economy.  The differentiating factor is that the poor economy seems to weed out some of the poor leaders that do not possess these leadership qualities.

Vision.  A great leader needs to have a clear vision of where he wants to take the company.  What should it look like next year and in five years? Not only should they have this vision, but they need to communicate it to their followers.  A leader will never get her followers to work toward a vision that she does not understand or consciously communicate. 

“Vision is a lot more than putting a plaque on the wall.  A real vision is lived, not framed.” – Ken Blanchard and Jesse Stoner in Full Stream Ahead!

Values.  A great leader needs to possess a strong set of core values.  He needs to consistently conduct himself in a manner that his employees respect and make them want to follow him.  A strong set of core values from a great leader will radiate throughout the organization. 

Stay Positive.  Are sales down this year?  How much?  20%?  30?  more?   A great leader needs to recognize this fact, understand the reasons why the sales are down, and have a vision of where he is moving the company forward.  A great leader does not focus on the negative.  Always stay positive about where you are going.  Just like your values will radiate throughout your organization, negativity will corrode every fiber of an organization like a bad virus.

Persistence.  When a football team that gets behind by two touchdowns stops trying as the clock starts to tick down in the 4th quarter, they are sealing their own fate.  As Jimmy-V said, “Don’t give up. Don’t ever give up.”  A great leader is going to face the obstacles that present themselves in a positive manner and find a way around these obstacles.  Do not be afraid of every little failure – keep trying.  Thomas Edison once said that he had not failed, he had just found 10,000 ways that did not work.  Could you imagine what the world would be like today had Thomas Edison not been persistent?

Ability and Willingness to Reinvent the Vision.  A great leader needs to be able to get his ego out of the way and move on.  He needs to constantly be able to reassess his vision and be willing to change it as circumstances dictate.  This is where many leaders ultimately fail because of their lack of persistence or their unwillingness to reinvent the their vision.  A leader can be a part of change or the company can change around him and lead to his downfall.

Last, but not least…

Take Care of Existing Customers.   This obviously relates strongly to the leaders values.  Every single employee in an organization should understand that it is their job to get and keep customers – even those that do not interact with customers.  A great leader should communicate this value throughout the organization and empower everyone  in the organization to make sure customer’s needs are met.