Leadership is often defined as “the art of guiding a group, team or organisation towards a specific goal or objective”.
It is a skill that is often celebrated and glamorised in most literature and popular media. However, what is often overlooked is the importance of #followership and the traits that define successful followers.
In her book, “The Followership Factor: How to Get People to Lead You,” Barbra_Kellerman highlights the importance of followership and the role it plays in achieving success, particularly in business and organisational settings. She argues that while #leaders are important, it is the followers that ultimately determine the success or failure of a team or organisation.
Kellerman (2008) suggests that followers can exhibit a range of traits, from passive and compliant to active and engaged.
Passive followers tend to follow orders without question, while active followers engage in critical thinking and provide honest feedback to their leaders. Successful followers are also able to adapt to changing situations and are committed to the success of the team or organisation.
So, proper understanding of followership can help identifying and addressing issues with bad leadership, she argues.
Bad leadership; you say!
Kellerman (2004) wrote about Bad Leadership, What it is, How and why it Happens and Why it Matters. She examines how leadership can be dysfunctional on followers and organisations. She suggests that followers can become disillusioned and disengaged when leaders exhibit poor communication, unethical behaviour, or lack of accountability.
When we have a good understanding about followership, we can better understand the relationship between leaders and their followers, and how their interdependence affects the success of teams and organizations. It is important to note that leadership is a two-way channel and that successful leaders must also be effective followers!
It is important to pay attention to the traits and dynamics of followership. Literature may be full of topics about leadership and its various aspects, but understanding followership and how to grow successful followers is equally as important. It is essential to recognise the importance of followership and the critical role followers play in achieving organisational success.
Greeting from London!
Posted on LinkedIn on 30th April 2023
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