Leading the Followers
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Much of today’s management literature is concerned with the importance of good leadership. But what are leaders without followers? Here we examine the important concept of followership and consider what makes a good follower, what followers look for in a leader, and how organisations can promote effective followership.
The concept of followership:Follower - ‘One who pursues a course of action in common with a leader to achieve an organisational goal.’ 1 Much of what is written about leadership tends to ignore the important role of followers in helping leaders to deliver success. Often the follower, if mentioned at all, is depicted as subservient, merely doing what they are instructed because they are unable or unwilling to do anything else. In reality, however, leadership is not a one-way relationship, as Goffee and Jones state: Leadership must always be viewed as a relationship between the leader and the led." 2 Effective leaders appreciate the need to encourage followers to think for themselves, take the initiative and offer constructive criticism of leadership decisions. In return leaders should be able to spend less time managing and more time focusing on the bigger picture. This, in essence, is what followership is about. Kelley points out that there are two main types of followers. Some employees see followership as their main responsibility. They are happy to play a team role, and contribute to the organisation’s goals and objectives. The other type of follower is the employee who may take the lead in certain situations, but who is happy to be a follower in others. What both groups share, however, is a belief that the role of follower is a legitimate and valuable one. Qualities of effective followers:What distinguishes an effective from an ineffective follower is an enthusiastic, intelligent and self-reliant participation – without star billing – in the pursuit of an organisational goal" 3 Just as there are good and bad leaders, so there are effective and ineffective followers. According to Kelley, effective followers share the following characteristics 4 : They are good self-managersIronically, the ability to work on one’s own initiative, with minimum supervision and to think for oneself is key to being an effective follower. This means that a leader can delegate work, safe in the knowledge that it will be dealt with effectively, and that certain tasks will be carried out without the need for supervision. Kelley believes that effective followers often regard themselves as equal to leaders in all but designated rank. They are confident enough to challenge leadership decisions and tend not to feel intimidated by those further up the organisational hierarchy. That being said, they appreciate that even their leader will probably report to someone, and will therefore try to take the needs of their team and the organisation as a whole, into account. Kelley points out that self-managed followers tend to save organisations money because they need less supervisory control, thereby reducing administrative costs. They are committed to a greater goodAccording to Kelley, effective followers commit to something beyond their immediate self-interest, whether it is an idea, a cause, a product or the organisation itself. This kind of commitment poses both opportunities and threats to the leader. On the plus side, followers with a strong sense of commitment can boost morale amongst colleagues, help ensure that everyone is pulling their weight, and that deadlines are being met. That being said, if followers are committed to goals that do not align with those of the organisation, this can ultimately cause the leader to lose control of the organisation. It is important, therefore, for leaders to understand how to focus follower commitment towards satisfying both corporate goals and personal ambitions. They are competent and focusedEffective followers tend to have high performance standards, and are keen to further their professional development. They understand the importance of completing core tasks, but once they are completed, will gladly take on additional work. If the effective follower is asked to do something they feel unqualified for, they will ask for the necessary training or assistance. If they think that someone else in their team is better qualified to deliver a task or project, however, they will pass the work over, thereby saving the organisation time and money. Effective followers also tend to be good at spotting better ways of doing things, and will often use their initiative to deliver a solution rather than simply flagging up problems. They are courageous, honest and credibleGiven their ability to manage themselves and their willingness to challenge decisions, both leader and colleagues tend to look to effective followers for their knowledge and judgment. Effective followers also tend to have high ethical standards. This, of course, can prove problematic for organisations with less than exemplary ethical standards. The chances are, the effective follower will feel compelled to highlight any wrongdoing or injustice they find. What followers want from leadersAccording to Goffee and Jones, there are four key things that followers look for from their leaders 5: 1. AuthenticityGoffee and Jones believe that authenticity in leadership is extremely important. One of the key things that followers want is for their leaders to show their human side rather than just a management persona. In other words, they want leaders who are extremely good at what they do, but who have not lost sight of where they have come from, or who they are. 2. SignificanceFollowers tend to respond to leaders who make them feel like their contributions matter, no matter how small. This, Goffee and Jones point out, is tied up with our basic human need to have a purpose and be valued. Those followers who are made to feel significant by their leader tend to respond with loyalty and support. 3. CommunityAccording to Goffee and Jones, followers also look for their leaders to create a sense of community. By this they mean a feeling of common purpose at work, and a desire within the group to relate and interact with each other. Unfortunately, creating such an environment is extremely difficult. Goffee and Jones believe that few executives ever achieve it. 4. ExcitementWhile it is acknowledged that different types of people can make effective leaders, Goffee and Jones believe that, in their heart of hearts, what followers want is to get a buzz and feeling of excitement from their leader. Many successful organisations such as Virgin or the Body Shop have had leaders who have an energy and edge that rubs off on their employees. Again, it’s human nature to want to feel engaged and to be part of a success story. Goffee and Jones believe that followers are constantly asking ‘Why should anyone be led by you?’ of their leaders. Leaders must use their everyday words and actions to provide their response. Promoting effective followershipMany people tend to think of leadership as a superior and more active role than that of the follower. Kelley suggests, however, that organisations should view them as different but equally important activities. What distinguishes followers from leaders is not intelligence or character, but the role they play. Effective followers and effective leaders are often the same people playing different parts at different hours of the day." 6 Organisations can encourage a culture of effective followership by undertaking some or all of the following activities:
Conclusion
While many writers on leadership think that followership does not merit separate study, there are those, such as Kelley, and Goffee and Jones, who think it plays an important part in the leadership process. It is all too easy to see followership as employees doing what they are told. However, the effective follower does much more than this. They are able to complement their leader’s strengths and weaknesses, use their initiative, and exercise independent, critical thinking, while still respecting their leader’s overall authority. from the Knowledge Bank, an on-line resource developed for the Leadership Foundation for Higher Education. The permission of the Leadership Foundation to reproduce this material is gratefully acknowledged. REFERENCES:
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