When following is the failure

By Dr. Toye Sobande · First published in BusinessDay, 25 September 2026

The fourth column in the series confronts the uncomfortable side of followership. The same qualities that make followers valuable can, pointed at the wrong goal, make them instruments of harm.

The argument

Some of history’s worst outcomes were delivered by capable, disciplined people who never questioned what they were serving. Loyalty without judgement slides into complicity, and commitment without conscience lets good people execute bad decisions efficiently.

The answer is not habitual resistance. Dr. Sobande describes discernment as a graduated response: question in good faith, push back, refuse to take part in wrongdoing, and, where serious harm is involved, leave or bring it to light. A follower anchored to the mission rather than to a person has firmer footing when a leader strays.

Key takeaways

• Followership is not blind obedience.
• Be clear whether your loyalty is to a person or to the mission.
• Respond in steps: question, push back, refuse, and in grave cases leave or expose.
• Habitual refusal is not principle; follow fully when the cause is worthy.
• Discernment is what turns loyalty into a virtue.

“Following well and refusing well are not opposites.”

Dr. Toye Sobande

A question to take away

Is there anything you are currently supporting at work that you would struggle to defend in public?