Followershipand Followers

Followershipand Followers FollowershipReferstothebehavioroffollowersthatresultsfromtheleader-followerinfluencerelationship Follower IsapersonwhoisbeinginfluencedbyaleaderEffectiveleadershiprequireseffectivefolloowers Therearenoleaderswithoutfollowers Theinfluencingprocessofleadersandfollowersisatwowaystreet,withfollowersalsoinfluencingleadersFactorsthat DetermineFollowerInfluencePower PositionLeaders need to realize that they are no longer the sole possessors of power and influence in their work unitsSome followers may have personal, referent, expert, information, and connectionbased sources of power that can be used to boost upward influenceAs more and more employees come to rely on a particular follower for information, expertise, or simply because of his or her personality, the followers relative power position increases

Locus of controlFollowers with an internal locus of control prefer a work environment that facilitates: Communication with leaders Participation in decision making Opportunities to be creativeFollowers with an internal locus of control prefer a participative style of leadershipFollowers with an external locus of control prefer a directive style of leadershipFollowers with an internal locus of control are more likely to be more influential with other followers than those with an external locus of control

Education and experienceFollowers with less education and experience need more guidance, coaching, and feedbackTo improve their performance, inexperienced employees often seek the assistance of experienced employeesTodays workers are far more educated, mobile, diverse, and younger than the workforce of 20 years ago

What is the purpose of feedback to followersImproved performanceFollower career developmentCorrecting deficiencies can help the follower improveMust be done so that the leaderfollower relationship is preserved

How is feedback best given?PrefeedbackLeader should: Remind self to stay calm and professional Gather accurate facts on follower performance Remind self to avoid rush to judgment

During feedback sessionLeader should: Be specific in stating performance deficiency Explain negative impact of ineffective behavior Help follower identify reasons for poor performance Ask follower to suggest remedies Arrive at mutual agreement on specific action steps

How is feedback best given?(cont.)Postfeedback sessionLeader should: Follow up to ensure implementation of action steps Show desire to be of help to follower Build followers selfconfidence

Styles of FollowershipAlienated followers Are low on involvement yet are high on critical thinking Feel cheated or unappreciated Are capable but unwilling to participate in developing solutions to problems

Conformist followers Are the yes people of the organization Carry out all orders without considering the consequences Avoid conflict

Styles of Followership(cont.)Passive followers Are neither high on critical thinking nor involvement Look to the leader or others to do all the thinking Require constant supervision Never go beyond the job description

Effective followers Are high on critical thinking and involvement Are not riskaverse nor do they shy from conflict Have the courage to initiate change Serve the best interest of the organization Tend to function very well in selfmanaged teams Complement the leaders efforts and can be relied upon the relieve the leader of many tasks

Styles of Followership(cont.)Pragmatic followers Exhibit a little of all four stylesdepending on which style fits the prevailing situation Present an ambiguous image, with positive and negative sides -On the positive side, when an organization is going through desperate times, the pragmatic follower knows how to work the system to get things done On the negative side, this same behavior can be interpreted as playing political games, or adjusting to maximize selfinterest

How to be an effective followerOffer support to leaderTake initiativePlay counseling and coaching roles to leader when appropriateRaise issues and/or concerns when necessarySeek and encourage honest feedback from the leaderClarify your role and expectationsShow appreciationKeep the leader informedResist inappropriate influence of leader