Providing professional development on followership provides followers and leaders with expectations of work and social engagements and adds value of being a follower through education and professional credentials. The problem examined in this study was the negative stigma associated with the terms of "follower" and "followership," which have resulted in low value and focus on followership curricula in higher education. The purpose of this qualitative grounded theory study was to explore and understand followership as perceived by millennials and Generation Z in the United States, to advance the leadership process with followership curricula in higher education. This study used a qualitative method with a grounded theory design. Semi-structured interviews and a one-page reflection of a short video on impact of followers to start a movement were activities used to collect data from participants. Leadership course syllabi from higher education institutions were reviewed to see if followership was included. The goal of this study was to understand the perspective of followership through the lens of two generations who had not been included in prior research. Twelve participants were selected from a larger pool of volunteers who met two criteria of being millennial or Generation Z and completed at least one leadership course from a higher education institution within the United States. The first research question was to identify the theoretical components that explain followership from the perspectives of millennials and Generation Z. The findings revealed the theoretical constructs of followers in the followership process, three proposed theoretical frameworks for followership, and the three components of influences that explain the followership process. For the first time organizational structure and culture were identified as a component of influences and the perspective that all theoretical frameworks and components of influences are important in the followership process and are prioritized based on changes and complexities within the organization and society. The second research question was to identify what millennials and Generation Z in the United States learn about followership in higher education from leadership courses. The findings indicated that only two of 12 participants reported receiving a course on "followership" in higher education and only one U.S. higher education syllabus provided activity, outcome, and reference to "followership" from the lens of the follower. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]