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Leadership & Followership

Dr Shaun Lundy

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GREENWICH

What is Leadership?

The ability of a leader to get a job

done no matter what.

The ability of a leader to motivate

and inspire followers.

The process of influencing the

activities of an organised group

toward goal achievement.

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Leaders

H&S

H&S

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Reality

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Approaches to leadership

Transactional Transformational

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Leadership Environment

Situational and Contextual

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Don’t Forget the Followers

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What is Followership?

Followership is the capacity of an individual to

actively follow a leader and is the reciprocal

social process of leadership.

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Leadership and Followership

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Key Points on Dancing Guy

Leaders are important but those first followers

are vital.

First followers turn the lone nut into a leader.

Nurture your first followers and try to treat them

as equals.

It takes courage to be one of those first followers.

First followers deserve recognition.

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Situational Leadership

adapted from Hersey

and Blanchard (1977)

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Robert Kelley’s Followership

dimensions and styles,

adapted from Kellerman

(2008)

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“This is all about passing the buck, they don’t want

to get sued for an accident so it’s being passed

onto to us. I’m not convinced any of it will make a

difference.”

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Alienated Follower

“This is all about passing the buck, they don’t want

to get sued for an accident so it’s being passed

onto to us. I’m not convinced any of it will make a

difference.”

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“I’ll do it because that’s what I’m being told to do

and it’s really not worth the hassle arguing about

the rights and wrongs, that’s not my job. I just get

on with it.”

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Conformist Follower

“I’ll do it because that’s what I’m being told to do

and it’s really not worth the hassle arguing about

the rights and wrongs, that’s not my job. I just get

on with it.”

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“I’m really not that interested in what the managers

think. I find it’s usually best to ignore them unless

they start making a real noise about things.”

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Passive

“I’m really not that interested in what the managers

think. I find it’s usually best to ignore them unless

they start making a real noise about things.”

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“Clearly it’s important and the approach will work as

long as everyone gets involved. I’ve got some

good ideas on how to take this forward myself.”

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Exemplary Follower

“Clearly it’s important and the approach will work as

long as everyone gets involved. I’ve got some

good ideas on how to take this forward myself.”

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Pragmatic Survivor

Has qualities of all four

Changes style depending on situation

Uses whatever style benefits their position

Avoids risk and maintains the status quo

25-35% tend to be pragmatic survivors

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Leadership Style Ideal Leader

Behaviours

Ideal Follower

Behaviours

Followership Style

Coaching Include followers in

decision making,

consultation to

encourage ownership

Get involved – move from

outsider to insider mindset

Alienated

Supporting Authentic explanation

and clarify expectations

continually to engage

followers

Listen and do as

requested – move to a

more active role

Passive

Directing Detailing expectations

clearly and completely

and monitor

performance

Doing as requested and

demonstrating that results

and quality are important

Conformist

Delegating Moving decision making

and implementation to

the follower

Accepting responsibility,

demonstrating success

with increasing

responsibility

Exemplary

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In Summary

Your leadership style needs to adapt to your

followership profile.

Those initial followers are your greatest assets

and they need nurturing.

Great leaders have motivated and engaged

followers.

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“A sign of a good

leader is not how

many followers

you have, but

how many

leaders you

create”

Gandhi

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Shaun Lundy

s.lundy@gre.ac.uk

https://uk.linkedin.com/in/shaunlundy

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Alienated Follower

Passive, yet independent thinker

Perhaps previously effective

May have experienced setbacks or frustration

Capable, but focus on shortcomings of the organisation

Cynical

Does not contribute to solving problems

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Conformist

Active, but dependent, uncritical thinker

Carries out orders

Participates willingly

Concerned with avoiding conflict

“Goes along to get along”

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Passive

Passive and uncritical thinker

Lacks initiative and a sense of responsibility

Needs supervision

Leaves thinking to the leader

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Exemplary Follower

Active and critical thinker

Has courage to initiate change

Open to risk and conflict to reach goals

Serves the best interests of organisation

Committed to something larger than themselves

Works toward positive impact