I have wondered why there isn't a legitimate word, followship. While there are a few things about it on the Web (45,000 hits), there isn't a definition for it in Onelook or in the OED (my gold standard). Yet, we hear about leadership ad nauseum. Why not followship?

I remember hearing about a student once who applied to an Ivy League college. In her essay they asked her if she were a leader. Now this is a 17-year-old. She wrote that at this stage of life she wouldn't describe herself as a leader, but she went into some excellent reasons as to why she is a good follower. The college admitted her and sent her a letter saying they're happy to have admitted at least 1 follower with this group of admissions. Isn't it the truth? Everyone thinks he or she is a leader, but people rarely describe themselves as followers. Where would we be without followers?

I don't know about without followers but with probably Jonestown.

quote:

Originally posted by Proofreader:
I don't know about without followers but with probably Jonestown.

I'll drink to that!

There's a perfectly good and recognized word followership, analagous to leadership. The "-ship" termination is added to the noun (leader/follower), not to the verb (lead/follow).

Well, of course, timon. I had forgotten the "er." It's in the OED, with the earliest citation being from the Oakland Tribune in 1913.