Guest: Tamra Ryan | Book: Followship: 16 Lessons to Become a Leader Worth Following
Trust is collapsing—in workplaces, governments, and communities. And when trust breaks, everything built on it begins to crack.
Distrust doesn’t just make teams dysfunctional; it makes societies fragile. Without trust, economies stall, collaboration shrinks, and progress toward shared goals collapses. The United Nations warns that rising global distrust now threatens stability, prosperity, and human wellbeing.
This erosion of trust makes a powerful case for leading differently. For too long, leadership has focused on what leaders want to give—their vision, expertise, and direction. But today’s workforce is asking something deeper: What do followers need to believe in order to follow?
“A widespread dearth of trust makes the case for doing leadership differently. It’s time to turn the focus away from what leaders want to give and toward what followers are seeking from their leaders–what entices people and enlists them to join the leader in accomplishing great things. I call this new way of leading “followship.” — Tamra Ryan
Followship is a pragmatic, deeply human reframe of leadership—less about command and more about connection. It asks not how to lead, but how to be worth following.
In my conversation with Tamra Ryan, four veins of truth kept surfacing—bright seams of what truly makes people follow: humbition, the bond of your word, the courage to work through conflict, and the emotional intelligence to name what’s true—first in yourself, then for the room.
Humbition: Leading Beyond Ego
Ryan’s term humbition—the blend of humility and ambition—captures the essence of modern leadership.
It takes ambition to step forward and humility to remember it’s not about you.
The best leaders share the stage, create space for others to grow, and model what striving to be better looks like.
Trust Is Built in Small Moments
People remember what you promise—and whether you deliver.
Every unkept commitment chips away at confidence. Every follow-through strengthens the invisible bridge between leader and team.
Trust isn’t declared; it’s demonstrated.
Conflict as a Leadership Test
Avoided conflict doesn’t go away—it festers.
Real leaders lean in, diagnose the source, and address tension before it corrodes the culture.
Handled with care, conflict becomes proof of psychological safety: We can do hard things together.
Emotional Intelligence: The Real Differentiator
Most leaders believe they’re self-aware. Few actually are.
Emotional intelligence begins with curiosity about your own reactions—and grows when you learn to name emotions clearly, both in yourself and others.
Nice protects your image.
Kind protects their growth.
And clear is kind.
The Future of Work That’s Worth Following
The best workplaces aren’t the ones with all the answers.
They’re the ones where leaders trade pedestals for proximity, humility for ego, and vision for vanity.
Where people expand—not just perform.
That’s what we call Destination Workplaces—organizations where performance and purpose thrive side by side.
At the Gusto, Now! Academy, leaders don’t just talk about followership—they practice it.
They build the daily habits that turn trust into traction and belonging into performance.
Leadership isn’t who you are above your team.
It’s who your team becomes because you’re there.
Your Call to Action
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