Leaders: Beware of Followers

As a leader, have you ever had team members who showed little enthusiasm for your ideas? Subordinates who complied with your decisions more out of duty than eagerness?

Why do Leaders need true followers?
Followers are an essential part of the leadership equation. Without good followers, becoming a good leader is difficult as the proverb says: “He who thinks he leads, but has no followers, is only taking a walk”. Everyone aspires to be a leader but what is the chief ingredient that makes a leader effective; the followers. A good leader will not underestimate the power of followers. A good leader knows the importance of followers and is aware of the type of followers he has.

Followers impact leaders and the leadership process. Followers provide the “horsepower” to organizational performance as they are the primary contributors to the success of any organizational outcomes. Therefore, improving followership influence will have a beneficial impact on business performance.

Focusing on leadership alone is like trying to understand clapping by studying only the left hand.” Jonathan Haidt

People display followership when they express, through their words or actions, respect and support for a person they view as their leader, and openness to be influenced by him or her in that capacity. One could argue that any good leader is in turn a good follower. All leaders have their own leaders. Followership can take on a shifting role perspective, in some situations, an individual may be a leader and in others a follower depending on the context of the organizational goals.

The Leadership Theories:

The Leader-Member Exchange (LMX) theory of leadership focuses on the interactions between leaders and followers and understands that it is these interactions that are the centre of the leadership process. Under this theory leaders differentiate their followers based on their perception of their followers’ competence/skills, trustworthiness, and motivation to assume greater responsibilities Leaders then treat those with “high-LMX” differently and prefer them to those who have “low-LMX”.

Contingency or Situational models state the effectiveness of a leader's behaviour will be contingent upon the organizational situation. Different situations call for different styles of leadership, and the effectiveness of a leader's approach depends upon the needs of the specific situation. Leadership styles and situational control can be matched either by changing the leader’s personality or by changing the individual’s situational control in order to affect organization or group performance.

The days of leaders saying “Jump!” and subordinates asking “How high?” are over. Either people are on board with your leadership or not. Not so simple.

The influencing process is made complex because followers are not a monolithic group. Leaders wanting to build high performing teams need to be aware of the important role followership plays in group dynamics and team performance.

Source:https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/article/20141116040445-150905450-leaders-beware-of-followers?trk=prof-post