Developing a Followership Course (CNU Part 1) - Lori Throupe & Lacey Grey Hunter

Lori Throupe and Lacey Grey Hunter, who are faculty and staff, respectively, at Christopher Newport University, share how they have integrated followership into a pre-existing campus-wide leadership program, work that has culminated into a full followership course. This episode is Part 1 of a 3-part series. In Parts 2 and 3, you'll hear from alumni and current students at Christopher Newport who have taken the followership course and participated in the leadership program.

Lori Throupe is Leadership Studies faculty and Faculty Director of Academic Success. 

Lacey Grey Hunter is Director of the President's Leadership Program and Adjunct Professor of Leadership Studies.

“We’ve always noticed that students get excited about thinking about things from the followership perspective. What are individuals doing when they are not in particular positions of power?”

“Once we started to really broaden the aperture of leadership to focus on more than only the leader, I believe that all of our students began to identify themselves as individuals who had a place within the phenomenon of leadership.”

“Once our students are made aware of the fact that being a follower means that you possess power and influence, it changes how they see themselves in the relationship of leadership. I have seen it increase their ability to advocate for their point of view. I have seen students build closer relationships with a leader because they have taken the responsibility off the shoulders of only the leader.”

“We see students almost turn completely around because they recognize that the proportion of time that they spend in followership roles is incredibly greater than the proportion of time that they currently spend in leadership roles.”
 

Books 

The Power of Followership, Robert Kelley

Followership, Barbara Kellerman

The Courageous Follower, Ira Chaleff

Leadership is Half the Story, Marc Hurwitz and Samantha Hurwitz

Other References

Collegiate Leadership Competition
www.collegiateleader.org

 Radical Candor
www.radicalcandor.com

Global Followership Conference, March 24-26, 2023
www.followershipconference.com