Courageous follower: Chapter 1

1
Courage The ability to step forward through fear

• Courage means accepting responsibility
• Courage often means nonconformity
• Courage means pushing beyond the comfort zone
• Courage means asking for what you want and saying
  what you think
• Courage means fighting for what you believe
• Whether leading or following, strive to
  encourage, not discourage, those around you.

2
Preface

• The closer we are to a situation in which power
  is being abused, the more we are at risk if we
  try to change it and the abuser turns on us.
• People nearest to a situation often do nothing
• People farthest away wring their hands
• Proximity and courage are the critical variables
  in the prevention of the abuse of power

3
Dual responsibility (p.3)

• To ultimately accept responsibility for our
  organizations and the people they serve
• Must understand our own power and how to use it.
  Sources who we serve and why
• Must appreciate the value of leaders and cherish
  the critical contributions they make. Understand
  the forces that chisel away at their creativity,
  good humor and resolve.
• Must understand the seductiveness and pitfalls of
  the power of leadership (influence)

4
Introduction and Chapter 1

• Courageous followership is built on the
  foundation of courageous relationship
• The danger in the leader-follower relationship is
  the assumption that the leaders interpretation
  must dominate
• View of hero-leaders/villain leaders vs. view of
  common person heroes who stay true to their own
  lights while helping leaders follow theirs.

5
Followers and leaders both orbit around the
purpose, followers do not orbit around the
leader. But if the purpose is not clear and
motivating, leaders and followers can only pursue
their perceived self-interest, not their common
interest.
6
Purpose the missing factor

• Vision where we are going
• Mission who, when, how we will get there
• Values rules of engagement and norms of
  behavior
• Purpose why we do what we do

7
Courage to assume responsibility

• Assume responsibility for themselves and the
  organization
• Do not hold a paternalistic image of the leader
  or the organization
• Initiate values-based action to improve processes
• The authority to initiate comes from the
  courageous followers understanding and ownership
  of the common purpose, and from the needs of
  those the organization serves.

8
Courage to serve

• Assume new or additional responsibilities to
  unburden the leader and serve the organization
• Stand up for the leader and the tough decisions a
  leader must make for the org. to achieve its
  purpose
• Are as passionate as the leader in pursuing the
  common purpose
• Stay alert for areas in which their strengths
  complement the leaders and assert themselves in
  these areas.

9
Courage to challenge

• Give voice to the discomfort they feel when the
  behaviors or policies of the leader or group
  conflict with their sense of what is right
• Willing to stand up, stand out, to risk
  rejection, to initiate conflict in order to
  examine the actions of the leader and group when
  appropriate
• Willing to deal with the emotions their challenge
  evokes in the leader and group
• Value organizational harmony, but not at the
  expense of the common purpose and their integrity

10
Courage to participate in transformation

• When behavior that jeopardizes the common purpose
  remains unchanged, courageous followers recognize
  the need for transformation
• Champion the need for change and stay with the
  leader and group as they mutually struggle with
  the difficulty of the real change
• Examine their own need for transformation and
  become full participants in the change process

11
Courage to take moral action

• Know when it is time to take a stand that is
  different than that of the leaders. They answer
  to a higher set of values.
• Stand may involve refusing to obey a direct
  order, appealing to the next level of authority,
  or tendering ones own resignation
• These and other forms of moral action involve
  personal risk, but service to the common purpose
  justifies and sometimes demands acting.

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Paradox of followership

• Followers are accountable for their leaders.
• Have a clear internal vision of service and are
  attracted to leaders that articulate and embody
  its external manifestations.
• Remain fully accountable for their own actions.
• Perform two opposite roles
• Implementer
• Challenger
• Must be willing to teach the leader.

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Who does a follower serve?

• Follower is not synonymous with subordinate.
• Resources of a group include its leader.
  Follower is a leaders steward every bit as much
  as a leader is the followers steward.
• Levels of service, p. 16

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Loyalty of a follower

• Both leaders and followers are entering into a
  contract to pursue the common purpose within the
  context of their values. The loyalty of each is
  to the purpose and to helping each other stay
  true to that purpose.

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Power in the L-F relationship

• Of purpose
• Of knowledge
• Of personal history
• Of faith in self
• To speak the truth
• To set a standard that influences others
• To choose how to react in a situation regardless
  of the reaction of others

• To follow or not to follow in a given direction
• Of relationships
• To communicate through a variety of channels
• To organize others of like mind
• To withdraw support if the leaderships actions
  violate our values.

16
Value of the follower

• Interdependent with, not dependent upon the
  leader.
• Dynamic followers are self motivated, not leader
  motivated.
• Characteristics cooperative, collaborative,
  control their ego needs, caring perceive the
  needs of both the leader and other group members
  and try to form a bridge between them.

17
Courage of the follower

• An individual who is not afraid to speak and act
  on the truth as she perceives it, despite
  external inequities, is a force to be reckoned
  with.
• Courage implies risk
• Develop contingency plans
• Sources of courage religious beliefs,
  philosophy, role model, vision, vow from past
  experience, event that tested us, conviction we
  hold, value, empathy for others, self-esteem,
  commitment to comrades, outrage felt toward
  injustice.
• Courage muscle develops to the degree that we
  exercise it.

18
Balance through relationship

• Leaders are the flame that ignites action, they
  generate and focus power followers are the
  guarantors of the beneficial use of that power
• Followers provide balance if they can stand up to
  leaders. Two essential elements of relationship
• Develop trust
• Use that trust to speak honestly when
  appropriate.

19
Mature relationships

• Conditioned for others to be responsible for our
  behavior but we are not held responsible for
  theirs.
• Immature leaders surround themselves with
  followers that kowtow to them.
• Skillful followers confront a leader in a way
  that simultaneously respects the accomplished
  adult, preserves the adults self-esteem, and
  challenges the immature behavior.

20
Difference in elevation

• 70 of followers will not question a leaders
  point of view even when they feel the leader is
  about to make a mistake. Why?
• Kings disease leaders lose touch with
  reality.

21
Finding equal footing

• We are not our titles. We need not be seduced,
  dazzled, or intimidated by the symbols of higher
  office.
• See the leader as the individual that they are
  relate to the individual, not the title.

22
When the leader is not equal

• Deal with our own feelings
• Cover for the leader or let the leader appear
  unprepared?
• Guiding principle should remain service to the
  organization and its purpose.
• The mark of a great leader is the development and
  growth of followers. The mark of a great
  follower is the growth of leaders.

23
Interpersonal Trust

• A state involving positive expectations about
  anothers motives with respect to oneself in
  situations entailing risk
• A relatively stable attitude that develops over
  time.
• Situational parameters
• History of the relationship

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Antecedents of Trust Trustworthiness

• Ability. Domain specific competence
• Benevolence. Extent to which a trustee is
  believed to want to do good to the trustor, aside
  from an egocentric profit motive. Suggests
  affect (attachment to the trustor)
• Integrity. Trustee advocates and practices
  principles that the trustor finds acceptable.
  Practicing what one preaches regardless of
  emotional or social pressure.

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• When trust matters. Trustworthiness attributions
  are affected by relational issues and become more
  important when social bonds exist.
• How trust is influenced by actions of
  authorities. Information about respect and
  standing with authorities is the prime
  determinant of attributions of trustworthiness.
• Meaning of trust. People respond to benevolent
  intentions to a greater degree than they do to
  competence when reacting to authorities. There
  is no substitute for caring.
• Trust, when defined as positive intent rather
  than calculated risk, is especially important
  during time of crisis and conflict.
• Trust is a social resource. It takes time to
  build.

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Meta-Analysis of Trust Research (Dirks Ferrin,
2002)

• Outcomes
• Attitudes
• Job Satisfaction
• Commitment
• Belief in information
• Turnover (negative)
• Citizenship behaviors
• Job Performance

• Antecedents
• Leadership Care and Concern
• Organizational Support
• Justice fair treatment, processes, and outcomes
• Leadership fair, dependable, integrity