Do a Google search for the word followership and you get 142,000 results; do a search for leadership and you get 134 million. Yet without followers, a leader is a lonely figure. So why do we focus so much attention on leadership and so little on followership? The day when a leader could expect blind allegiance is gone. More and more people are challenging hierarchal structures and those at the head of them. There is a dynamic relationship of mutual benefit and support between the leader and the follower. They both need each other, and the task, organisation, business or cause that they serve needs them both. Moreover, it needs them to work together. Therefore, it is in the interest of your business or organisation to give attention to both, and to the dynamic of the relationship between them.It is necessary to distinguish between followers and subordinates. Subordinates are in an inferior position in a hierarchy and are expected to obey commands from the person in the position of leader. The leader has authority and the subordinate is expected to submit to that authority. A follower, on the other hand, follows because they want to. There may still be a hierarchal structure in place, but they follow because they want to and not because they have to. It cannot be assumed that people will follow a leader. The follower has needs that must be satisfied by the leader or they will cease to follow. When they do so they become a leader – either leading themselves and others away from the organisation or leading the organisation in another direction. I believe that organisations or businesses that take an honest and open look at this dynamic and focus on how to support both leaders and followers have the greatest chance of success. Several writers have tried to categorise followers into different types. Robert Kelley[1] describes five types:
Ira Chaleff[2] describes five types:
In an ideal situation the leader will have plenty of Kelley’s Exemplary Followers or Chaleff’s Courageous Followers. However, this will not happen without leaders and an organisational culture that supports this relationship. It requires a leader who is not afraid of criticism, who is open to and who cultivates relationship, and who is prepared to follow. It requires followers who are able to see that their current role is to follow, and to show leadership. It requires an organisation that sees these roles; leader and follower; not as rigid positions but as roles that support the purpose of the organisation. The concept of roles as being fluid and not attached to individuals is an important one to grasp. It is core to how Process Work views relationships. It is not to say that there should not be a position of leader. However, if the role of leader is seen as fluid and belonging to the group then it is open to anyone to take it up. Similarly, the role of follower is fluid too and can be taken up by anyone – including the leader. If the roles of leader and follower are seen as belonging to the group rather than being attached to any individual it is possible to get away from any one person being permanently attached to a particular role. In that way it is the group’s purpose that can be followed and led. To do this there needs to be an open and frank dialogue between all members of the organisation about what is expected of the leaders and the followers. This will allow a relationship where all understand and support the various roles and everyone is in support of the purpose of the organisation or group. Tim Spalding [1] Kelley, R; 1992; The Power of Followership: How to create leaders people want to follow, and followers who lead themselves; Doubleday; New York [2] Chaleff, I; 1995, 2003; The Courageous Follower, Standing up to & for our leaders, 2nd Edition; Berrett Koehler; San Francisco
It is interesting how much we focus on leadership, because in doing so, we forget about the other key players in the process: followers. Like good leaders, good followers need to develop some sound characteristics. Consider a good sports team. We have those who lead and those who follow, at different times, and for different reasons, within a game. The team relies on the expertise and abilities of those with the required skill set, as the team needs the skills in question. To be able to access those skills on the fly, the team has to be aware of the talents available and who possesses them. No one can be passive, and everyone has to be a good thinker. In fact, there are two key parameters that we, as followers, need to display: critical thinking, and active behaviour. The critical thinking is where we are mindful of what is going on around us, and of what the team needs for their outcome to be achieved. It is not about us: it is about the organisational goal. Active behaviour is where we don't sit back and wait for others to put their hands up: we get on and do it, if we are the best qualified. Based on these two ideas - critical thinking and active behaviour - Robert E. Kelley thought about two continua: the first being independent, critical thinking, versus dependent, uncritical thinking; the second being active versus passive behaviour. Based on those two continua, came up with his Five Followership Styles model, which are:
Sam References:
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