Introduction
Followership
is the act or condition of following a leader; adherence, followership can be
defined in several ways. Webster's defines followership as "The capacitiy
or willingness to follow a leader." Followership, like leadership, has a
much more practical definition. The technical definition does say willingness.
However, the will to follow is only one type of followership. You can be
someone's follower and not realize it. In truth, everyone follows everyone
else, because every action a person takes causes a reaction. For example, if a
person tries to attack you, you "follow his lead" and defend
yourself. In that scenario, you are the follower and he is the leader because
his actions dictate your actions. Thus, everyone is a follower, no matter where
they stand.
The Role of a Follower
Leadership and
followership differ in one fairly discreet way. Basically, everyone is a
follower, but not everyone is a leader. No matter how high up the chain of
command one goes, there is always a step higher. The role of a follower, however, in many ways resembles that of a
leader. Willingness to tell the truth forms a key ingredient of a
"good" follower. Leaders depend on their subordinates for appropriate
information. At times this information will prove unwelcome. Followers must
have the confidence to speak out. They understand the necessity of the
discomfort they may feel while communicating concisely with the leader, and
they realise their role in helping the leader make better decisions. Having the
fortitude to speak candidly with the leader also comprises a leadership trait.
Followers, according to this point of view, must realize that silence is
unacceptable.
Becoming an "effective" follower within the
leader/follower conceptual universe takes just as much work as becoming a
leader. Leaders must allegedly recognize the difference between pessimists,
individuals just along for the ride, individuals working just for the paycheck,
and participants (followers). Such leaders must reward followership. Organizations
that clearly communicate guidelines for subordinates will have more success.
On a more basic
level, however, a leader is following no matter where his position is. This
comes from following his people, the ones who are following him. First,
however, will be the definitions of leadership and followership.
Leadership vs. Followership
All leaders are followers, but not all followers are leaders. A
leader is a follower because, not only does he have to follow anybody above him
in the hierarchy, but he also follows the same people that he is leading. A
good example would be drilling a flight. The leader, in this case a flight
sergeant, gives an order and his followers, the flight, do as he says. However,
they do not know the command well, so they do not perform is adequately.
Because of that lack of knowledge, the flight sergeant will halt the flight and
teach them how to do it. Right then, he became a follower because his actions
were a direct result to the actions of his followers. Basically, because they
did not know how to do the command, they lead the leader into teaching them how
to carry out the command. The leader became a follower and the followers became
the leaders.
A follower, however, does not have to be a leader. One can follow
without leading, especially if he is too afraid to speak when he needs help.
The leader cannot know what to do with the follower if the follower does not
give him any feedback. Without that feedback, the follower cannot lead, and
will remain a follower until he builds the courage to speak.
Thus leadership and followership are two things that can be in
operation at the same time for the same person. It is possible to lead and
follow at the same time and vice versa. The bridge between the two is
communication. With adequate communication, the leader can tell his followers
what he wants, and the followers can show him what they need him to do for
them. Communication is the key to both leadership and followership.
Effective Followers vs Ineffective Followers
Leadership
is not always perfect, there’s a good leadership and a bad leadership it is the
reality that affects us greatly. Like leadership, there is also a good follower
and a bad follower.
A few
researchers have examined the characteristics of followers in an attempt to
pinpoint what distinguishes good followers from bad ones. There are four
essential qualities that effective followers share. First, effective followers
manage themselves well. This quality refers to the ability to determine one’s
own goals within a large context and to decide what role to take at any given
time. Secondly, effective followers are committed to the organization and to a
purpose beyond themselves. Thirdly, effective followers build their competence
and focus their efforts for maximum impact. They strive to reach higher levels
of performance and expand themselves. Finally, effective followers are
courageous, honest, and credible. This implies and requires independent and
critical thinking skills as well as the ability to feel comfortable with others.
One of the most important
characteristics of an effective follower may be the willingness to tell the
truth. As the quantity of available information has increased exponentially, it
has become imperative that followers provide truthful information to their
leaders. Good followers speak up even to the point of disagreeing with their
leaders. The irony is that the follower who is encouraged and is willing to
speak out shows what kind of leadership the company has instituted. Not only is
it important for the organization to know what followers think, but effective
leaders also need to respect followers who will speak up and share their points
of view rather than withhold information. Ineffective followers fail to give
honest opinions. They cover up problems and are inclined to become ‘yes men.’
If a company is going down the wrong road, it can get there faster if there are
no followers informing the leaders that they took a wrong turn.
Effective
followers are cooperative and collaborative, qualities that are essential to
all human progress. They think for and manage themselves and carry out duties
with assertiveness and energy. Effective followers are well-balanced and
responsible human resources who can succeed without strong leadership because
they are committed to a purpose, principle, or person outside themselves.
Effective
followers are distinguishable from ineffective followers by their enthusiasm
and self-reliant participation in the pursuit of organizational goals.
Ineffective followers are often critical, cynical, apathetic, and alienated;
many will only do what is specifically requested of them. Instead of figuring
out what they can do, ineffective followers focus on what can go wrong and what
is beyond their control. They tend to doubt themselves and, because they dwell
on problems rather than solutions, they most often see their fears materialize.
According to one researcher, they become experts at the “the blame game,”
blaming everybody around them for problems. These attitudes gradually spread to
other departments, and the result is low morale, lack of production, and lost
human potential.
Reasons to Follow
There
are many reasons to follow. Below are five diverse rationales that followers
tend to use when deciding to follow a leader.
Fear
of Retribution — “If I do not
follow, I may lose my job!” Following out of fear isn’t as much following as
it is using a coercive type of power. The leader in this case only continues
being successful (in maintaining followers) as long as the follower sees no
other option. Not a tool of effective (and ethical) leaders.
Blind
Hope — “We must do something,
and I hope this works!” In this situation, the follower is desperate for some
solution and is probably only following due to a lack of alternatives. Leaders should
watch out for followers like these, as they are likely to flee and follow
others who give them more hope.
Faith
in Leader — “What a great
person. If anyone knows the answer, they do!” Here, the follower is blind to
the solution but follows because they have put faith in the leader. Leaders
should also be wary of these individuals, as they believe that by some magic or
genius, the leader will provide the answer to the follower’s needs.
Disappointment is inevitable, and no leader is perfect.
Intellectual
Agreement — “What a good idea,
that certainly makes sense!” Logic guides this rationale, and the follower
understands the logic of the argument the leader is putting forward. This type
of followership is common for educated individuals who need to comprehend why
things happen.
Buying
the Vision — “What a brilliant
idea, I don’t care who thought of it!” When followers buy a vision, they are
emotionally identifying with a view of the future that appeals to them in some
way. They are not just following a leader or logic; they are focused on the
idea of moving toward the shared goals of a group or organization. This is a
very useful rationale for leaders to work toward, but only if it can be
sustained over a period of time.
All leaders may experience these rationales by
different individuals and at different times during their period of leadership.
The goal is to work toward the desired rationale for the largest number of
followers possible.
References:
www.ca.uky.edu/agc/pubs/elk1/elk1205/elk1205.pdf
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