The Power of Followship in House Music Success

The following is an except from a speech delivered by ELTHAM College Principal/CEO, Richard Lisle, at this term's House Music presentation assembly. Photography: Sam Hart.

It’s absolutely right that we start by formally acknowledging the role your House Leaders played in bringing House Music together for another excellent performance.

It’s not easy. It can be stressful and overwhelming at times, but none of that showed at the performance – well done.

I mentioned on the night that there were also many others within each House, who stood up and took the lead, embracing really powerful ‘moments of leadership’. I firmly believe we all have ‘moments of leadership’ in us and so many of you showed that potential over the last few weeks of rehearsals and preparation.

And not just in the House performances themselves; it was so clear that there were powerful student moments of leadership in the Year 5/6 and Year 9 performances too, which were impressive and well supported by the staff involved too.

However, what I also want to draw attention to is the power of something that’s rarely talked about….and that’s the impact of Followship.

Followship is the act of supporting and contributing to a leader's vision and goals, rather than taking the lead. It's about being a committed team player and excelling in your role without seeking star status. Those people who I’ve just mentioned, who embraced their moments of leadership, couldn’t have managed it without strong followship.

Followship is not passive. It's not simply about passively following instructions; it's an active and skillful role that requires understanding the leader's vision and goals for the performance.

Good followers see the value in listening to others and helping achieve their vision. Followship is a role distinct from leadership, and it's not inferior. Its about being a committed team player and supportive. Being motivated to contribute to the team's success. Respecting the need to be loyal to your house and its goals. Having good interpersonal skills and being able to communicate effectively. In other words – it’s essentially being part of ONE TEAM.

I saw so many examples of that in the build up to the House Music performance – and on behalf of these leaders, I wanted to say thank you.