Followership

Barbara Kellerman

2008

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About the Author

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• James MacGregor Burns Lecturer in Public Leadership at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government

• 2010 she was given the Wilbur M. McFeeley award by the National Management Association for her pioneering work on leadership and followership

• And in 2014 she was ranked by Global Gurus 13th in the “World’s Top 30 Management Professionals.”

• PhD in Political Sc in 1975 from Yale

• Books:– Leadership: Multidisciplinary Perspectives;

– The Political Presidency: Practice of Leadership;

– Bad Leadership;

– Followership;

– Women and Leadership (co-edited in 2008 with Deborah Rhode);

– Essential Selections on Power, Authority, and Influence (2010);

– The End of Leadership (2012)

– Hard Times: Leadership in AmericaSrc: http://www.hks.harvard.edu/about/faculty-staff-directory/barbara-kellerman

Barbara Kellerman

Robert Kelley’s Followership

Styles

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Src: http://www.leadershipletters.com/2003/02/13/kinds-of-followers/

Ira Challeff’s Followership

Styles

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Src: http://2012books.lardbucket.org/books/an-introduction-to-organizational-communication/s09-02-followership.html

Barbara’s Followership

• Followers can be identified by: Rank or

Behavior

– Rank: subordinate who has less power, authority

and influence, and influence than do their

superiors

– Behavior: going along with what someone else

wants and intends

• “... implies a relationship (rank) between

subordinate and superior, and a

response(behavior), of the former to the latter.”

• Prefers Rank over Behavior for her analysis3/7/2015 (c) Sachidananda 5

Barbara Kellerman’s Typology

(1/3)

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Levels of engagement spectrum

Isolates Bystanders Participants Activist Diehard

• Based on her training as a political scientist

• Similarity/Differences in context between government and business

leaderships

Are completely

detached

Observe but do

not participate

Are in

someway

engaged

Feel strongly

about their

leader and act

accordingly

Prepared to

die for their

cause,

individual/idea

/both

Ex:

Participatory

governance

and voters!

Typologies Cont... (2/3)

Bystanders

• Case: Nazi Germany

• Akin to free-riders

• Individual responsibility (we

are our brothers keepers)

• Difficult to break the habit

of standing by and doing

nothing

• To withdraw is to cede to

those who have more

power, authority and

influence than we do the

right to decide

Participants

• Case: Merck (Vioxx)

• Provide everyday energy but could go their own way

• When inexpert leaders lead expert followers, the former must closely monitor the later

• Knowledge workers donotbenefit from weak leader

• Beware of mental blocks

• Too committed to best-sellers

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Typologies Cont... (3/3)

Activists

• Case: Voice of the Faithful

• Care a great deal

• Asset to their fellow followers

• They could be dangerous and

so should be watched

• Given time and resources

they are serious power to

recon – shift existing order

• Both a major resource and a

major bane from leader’s

perspective

Diehards

• Case: Operation Anaconda

• Rare

• Leaders have a special

responsibility in those

situations in which lives are

at risk

– Reciprocal relationship

– Loyalty – sensitivity

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Characteristics on the

Typologies• Isolates: they donot care about their leaders, or know anything about them, or respond to them in

any way. Their alienation is, nevertheless, of consequence. By default – by knowing nothing and

doing nothing they strengthen still further leaders who already have the upper hand

• Bystanders: they make deliberate decision to stand aside, to disengage from their leaders and

from whatever is the group dynamic. This withdrawal, is effect, a declaration of neutrality that

amounts to tacit support for whoever and whatever constitutes the status quo.

• Participants: they clearly favor their leader and the groups, or clearly opposed. In either case,

they care enough to put their money where their mouths are – that is invest some of what they have

to try have an impact

• Activists: they are eager, energetic and engaged. Because they are heavily invested in people and

process, they work hard either on behalf of their leader or undermine and even unseat them

• Diehards: they are deeply devoted to their leader, or are ready to remove from position of power,

authority and influence by any means necessary. Diehards are defined by their dedication,

including their willingness to risk life and limb. Being Diehard is all-consuming. It is who you are

and determines what you do.

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QUESTIONSTHANK YOU

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