Following Invisible Leadership: When Purpose Leads and People Follow

Abstract

Leadership scholars have long examined the relationships between leaders and followers, yet we often assume that followers are primarily following a person. What if, in many of our most effective organizations and communities, both leaders and followers are actually following something else—a compelling common purpose? Drawing on Hickman and Sorenson's concept of Invisible Leadership, this presentation reframes followership as more than a relationship with authority. Through personal stories, examples from healthcare and collaborative leadership, and practical metaphors, participants will explore how a shared purpose can become the "invisible leader" that inspires people to move fluidly between leading and following roles. Rather than asking how we can become better followers of leaders, this session challenges us to consider how faithfully we are following the purposes that unite us. Participants will leave with a new lens for understanding leadership systems and a practical question to apply within their own organizations: What is the invisible leader in your work?