7/27/2019 In Praise of Followers

1/3

In Praise of Followers

In our zealous searching for better leaders we tend to lose sight of thepeople these leaders will lead. Not all corporate success is entirely dueto leadership. The followers also an important role. At different points in

their careers and even at different times of their working day, mostmanagers play both the roles. Most of us are more often followers thanleaders.

Followership dominates our lives and organisations but not our thinking,because our preoccupation with leadership keeps us from consideringthe nature and the importance of the follower. But we can safely saythat many a times a good follower makes a good leader.

The qualities of a good follower are:

1. Self management2. Commitment3. Competence4. Courageous

Self ManagementGood followers are people to whom a leader can safely delegateresponsibility, people who anticipate needs at their own level ofcompetence and authority.

They are more apt to openly and unapologically disagree with leadership

and less likely to be intimated by hierarchy and organisational structure.

Of course they also use a little diplomacy in manage their career i.e. stayattractive in the market place.

CommitmentThey are committed to a something to a cause, a product, anorganisation, an idea in addition to the care of their won lives andcareers. And as commitment is contagious the morale at the work placestays high.

CourageEffective followers are credible, honest and courageous. They establishthemselves as independent critical think us whose knowledge and

judgement can be trusted. Insightful, can did and fearless. They cankeep leaders and colleagues honest and informed.

7/27/2019 In Praise of Followers

2/3

Cultivating Effective FollowersFollowership is not a person but a role and what distinguishes followersfrom leaders is not intelligence / character but the role they play 4 stepsto cultivate effective followers are:

1. Redefine Followership & LeadershipThe qualities that make good followers and good leaders and the value

the company places on effective followership and leadership can bearticulate in explicit training. However the best way to convey thismessage is by example.

2. Honing Followership SkillsMost organisations assume that leadership has to be taught but thateveryone knows how to follow. A program of followers training cancorrect this misapprehension. By focusing on topics like selfmanagement, improving independent, critical thinking etc.

3. Performance, Evaluation and FeedbackInstead of rating employees on leadership qualities such as self-management, originality, rate them on these same qualities in both theleadership and followership roles and then evaluate each individualsability to shift easily from the one role to the other. A variety ofperformance perspectives will help most people understand better howwell they play their various organisational roles.

4. Organisational structures that encourage followershipUnless the value of good following is somehow built into the fabric of the

organisation it is likely to remain a pleasant conceit to which everyonepay occasional lip service but no dues.

Thus we must now give importance to the existence of effective followersand try and develop or cultivate the qualities necessary to become aneffective follower. Because after all is the followers who make the leadera leader by following him and run the organisation along with him.

Source : Kelley R. E. (1989) in praise of follwers: HBR 74-80

7/27/2019 In Praise of Followers

3/3