In a marching band, follow-the-leader is a visual effect in which one band member follows the next. The move can be from side to side, front to back, or diagonal. Advanced follow-the-leader movements may have Bézier curves.

"Follow-the-leader" can also refer to a children's game where one child plays the "leader" and leads others around a playground or an area, making repetitive actions that the others subsequently follow.