Leading the Followers

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 organization’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 organizational 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-Managers

Ironically, 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 organizational 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 organization as a whole, into account. Kelley points out that self-managed followers tend to save organizations money because they need less supervisory control, thereby reducing administrative costs.

They are Committed to a Greater Good

According to Kelley, effective followers commit to something beyond their immediate self-interest, whether it is an idea, a cause, a product or the organization 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 organization, this can ultimately cause the leader to lose control of the organization. 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 Focused

Effective 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 organization 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 Credible

Given 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 organizations with less than exemplary ethical standards. The chances are that the effective follower will feel compelled to highlight any wrongdoing or injustice they find.

What Followers Want from Leaders

According to Goffee and Jones[5], there are four key things that followers look for from their leaders:

Authenticity

Goffee 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.

Significance

Followers 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.

Community

According 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.

Excitement

While 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 organizations such as Virgin and the Body Shop have had leaders with an energy and edge that rub 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 Followership

Many people tend to think of leadership as a superior and more active role than that of the follower. Kelley suggests, however, that organizations 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]

Organizations can encourage a culture of effective followership by undertaking some or all of the following activities:

• promote the philosophy that leadership success depends on the action of the leader, their followers and how leader and followers work together
• ensure everyone in the organization understands this philosophy
• conduct training with all employees on the concept and benefits of effective followership
• offer training for all managers on how to manage and encourage effective followers
• consider making effective followership a part of the performance review process
• recognize and reward effective followership and follower-orientated leadership[7]

Conclusion

‘The longer I study effective leaders, the more I am convinced of the under-appreciated importance of effective followers.’[8]

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.