I just finished re-reading this book and pulled a lot of good thoughts out for use in my life. I don’t re-read a lot of books but some are definitely worth it and this one goes on that list. If you do a casual search on the term “followership” you will find a dozen books or so. One of the earliest with that term in the title is The Power of Followership, by Robert Kelly, published in 1992. Although out of print now, I had the opportunity to get a copy and read it early in my career with, I believe, great effect. This book by Collins has the same kind of weight. Jimmy Collins retired as the Chief Operating Officer of Chick-fil-A, Inc. and was a key player in Chick-fil-A’s story from it’s beginning. Collins states, “Followership principles can get you where you want to go, no matter where you are in your life and career or what job title you now hold.”

The book is broken into two parts. Part One: The Philosophy of Followership, and Part Two: The Principles of Followership. In part one, Jimmy lays out the mental perspective of followership. He describes the importance of Jim Collins from Good to Great would call getting on the right bus. In Jimmy Collins parlance that comes out as finding the right boss. His stories and perspective here is usually ignored by many and is foundational for the principles described in part two to truly be effective. He states, “A follower is attracted to a leader because that leader has a vision, a purpose, a reason, a cause, or a goal that attracts the interest of the follower.” He goes on to describe the proper mindset that enables the follower to engage and goes so far as to say, “If you cannot stand your boss, you really should stop showing up at work day after day and doing nothing about the situation. My advice is always the same. Do one of two things: either get on board and support the boss or fire him.”

Par two explains 35 different principles of followership drawn from Collins’ life and experience. These are the “hands-on” tips that made the author so successful in helping Chick-fil-A become the great company it is. There is a wealth of advice here for the individual who is willing to learn.

I give this book 5 stars and encourage you to add it to your reading list if you haven’t already.