Followers and Followership

1
Followers and Followership

• AGED 3153

2
Thought for the day

• A river without a bank is a large puddle.
• Ken Blanchard

3
Why is it important to discuss followers?

• Individuals shift in and out of leader and
  follower roles
• Everyone is a follower at one time or another
• Leaders are influenced by actions, attitudes and
  skills of followers
• Leaders must adjust style to the situation,
  including followers (contingency theories)

4
Why discuss cont.

• Northouses definition requires reciprocity and
  the mutual exchange of influence.
• Followers require many of the same qualities as
  leaders
• Performance of followers, leaders and the
  organization depend on one another.
• Trend toward empowerment of team members

5
Example

• US Navy study found that outstanding ships were
  those staffed by followers who supported leader
  but also took initiative and did not avoid
  raising issues or concerns
• Commander Michael Abrashoff of USS Benfold said
  the highest boss should be the sailor who does
  the work not the person with the most stripes.
  
• Whiteside, D.E. (1985)

6
Follower treatment
Grassroots Leadership Video
7
Styles of Followership

• Robert E. Kelley (1992)
• Describes 5 styles of followership
• Alienated
• Effective
• Passive
• Conformist
• Pragmatic Survivor

8
Styles cont.

• Styles categorized according to two dimensions
• Critical vs. dependent thinking
• Passive vs. active behavior

9
Independent, Critical Thinking
P a s s i v e
Alienated Effective
Passive Conformist
Ac t i v e
Pragmatic Survivor
Dependent, Uncritical Thinking
10
Alienated Follower

• Passive, yet independent thinker
• Previously effective
• May have experienced setbacks or frustration
• Capable, but focus on shortcomings of
  organization
• Cynical
• Does not contribute to solving problems

11
Conformist

• Active, but dependent, uncritical thinker
• Carries out orders
• Participates willingly
• Concerned with avoiding conflict
• Goes along to get along

12
Pragmatic Survivor

• Has qualities of all four
• Changes style depending on situation
• Uses whatever style benefits his/her position
• Avoids risk and foster status quo
• 25-35 tend to be pragmatic survivors
• Ex. government appointees

13
Passive

• Passive and uncritical thinker
• Lacks initiative and sense of responsibility
• Needs much supervision
• Leaves thinking to leader

14
Effective Follower

• Active and Critical thinker
• Has courage to initiate change
• Open to risk and conflict to reach goals
• Serves best interests of organization
• Committed to something larger than themselves
• Works toward positive impact

15
Leaders Role in Developing Effective Followers

• Manz Sims (1987)
• Self Management Leadership
• Lead others to lead themselves (support,
  empowerment)
• Use self-directed teams
• Empowerment
• Act as coach and mentor
• Provide encouragement and support
• Encourage critical, independent thinking
• Provide ample information to perform

16
The Leader's Challenge -

• To make people's strengths effective and their
  weaknesses irrelevant.
• Peter Drucker

17
The Power of Followers

• Leaders are almost never as much in charge as
  they are pictured to be followers are almost
  never as submissive as one might imagine. The
  state of mind of followers is a powerful
  ingredient...leadership is conferred by
  followers.
• John Gardner

18
References

• Daft, R. (2002). The Leadership Experience,
  Chapter 7
• Hegarty, Ch. (1985). How to manage your boss. NY
  Ballantine.
• Kelley, R. E. (1992). The power of followership.
  NY Doubleday.
• Manz, C. Sims, H. (1987). Leading workers to
  lead themselves The external leadesrhip of
  self-managing work teams. Administrative Science
  Quarterly, March, 106-129.
• Rost, J. (1993). Leadership for the twenty-first
  century. Westport, CT Praeger.
• Vecchio, R.P. (2000). Organizational behavior
  Core concepts. Fort Worth Dryden Press.
• Whiteside, D. E. (1985). Command excellence What
  it takes to be the best! Dept. of Navy.
  Washington, DC.
• Yukl,, G. (2001). Leadership in organizations.
  Upper Saddle River, NJ Prentice Hall.