Week 3 Followership

The document discusses effective followership and provides strategies for becoming a more effective follower. It defines key qualities of effective followers as those who really care, are independent thinkers, and self-managers. It also outlines styles of followership and strategies for managing up, including being a resource for the leader, helping the leader be good, building a relationship, and viewing the leader realistically. The document emphasizes developing personal potential and using sources of power like knowledge, expertise, and relationships to influence as a follower.

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Week 3 Followership

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julian

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LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

WEEK 3: FOLLOWERSHIP

EFFECTIVE FOLLOWERS:
- really care: unlike “blind sheep” or “yes” people are those who really care about something – a cause, an idea,
the company, the company’s products, the leader
- are independent critical thinkers: they are team players, up to the point where they think something unwise or
unethical is being done
- are capable self-managers: who require minimal supervision – a real cost-saving benefit. They feel involved
and responsible for their own work, which makes them more productive
- are stimulating people: their commitment is contagious

POWER IN FOLLOWERSHIP:
- we are more often followers than leaders
- followers influence impacts the leaders. Influence
- you develop leadership skills as a follower

FOLLOWERSHIP STYLES: THE FRAMEWORK

1.0 Critical vs. Uncritical Thinking of Follower
Critical Thinking Follower:
 Thinking independently and being mindful of the effects of one’s own and other people’s behaviors
on achieving the organizations vision
Uncritical Thinking Follower:
 Does not consider possibilities beyond what one is told; accepts the leaders’ ideas without thinking
2.0 Active Passive Behavior of Follower:
Active Behavior of Follower:
 Individual participates fully in the organization
Passive Behavior of Follower:
 Individual needs constant supervision and prodding

STYLES OF FOLLOWERSHIP:
Alienated followers are effective but have experienced setbacks. They tend to
focus on shortcomings of people or the organization.
Conformist follower carriers out all orders without considering the
consequences
Passive follower leaves the thinking, initiative and responsibilities to the leader
Effective followers initiate change and put themselves at risk to serve the best
interest of the organization
The Pragmatic Survivor has qualities of all four extremes, depending on which
style fits with the prevalent situation.

THE EFFECTIVE FOLLOWER:

1. Is courageous with integrity
2. Know what they stand for, express their ideas recognize the personal risk may leave the job if necessary
3. Accepts responsibility and serves the needs of the organization
4. Does not presume that a leader or an organization will provide them with security or personal growth
5. Initiates opportunities for personal growth and fullest use of their capabilities

ESSENTIAL QUALITIES OF EFFECTIVE FOLLOWERS:

1. Self-management: Think of oneself and work well without close supervision. Effective group members
see the themselves as being as a capable as leaders
2. Commitment: Effective followers are committed to something beyond themselves, be it a cause,
product, department, organization, idea or value. To be a committed group member, the leader
facilitates progress toward achieving a
3. Competence and Focus: Effective followers build their competence and focus their efforts for
maximum impact. Less effective group members rarely the initiative to engage in training and
development.
4. Courage: Effective followers establish themselves as independent, critical thinkers and fight for what
they believe is right. A good follower, for example might challenge the company’s policy for taking
ninety days to make good on a/p or of recruiting key people almost exclusively from people with
demographic characteristics similar to those of top management

A HABIT
- covey defines a habit as the intersection of knowledge, skill and desire.
- each learned habit builds on the other to develop personal potential

HABITS OF HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE:

o Habit 1: Be Proactive: this means being responsible and not blaming others. Proactive people recognize
that they have the ability to choose and to act with integrity.
o Habit 2: Begin with the End in Mind. This means starting with a clear mental image of your own
destination. It means knowing what you want; what is deeply important to you; and being able to
visualize the “end”.
o Habit 3: Put First things First. This habit encourages people to gain control of time and events by
relating them to their goals and by managing themselves. It means enhancing relationships and
accomplishing results.
o Habit 4: seek first to understand, then to be understood. Many people do not listen with intent to
understand; they are too busy thinking about what they want to say. Seek first to understand with
empathy and a nonjudgmental attitude.
o Habit 6: Synergize. Synergy is the combined action that occurs when people work together to create
new alternatives and solutions. The essence of synergy is to value and respect differences and take
advantage of them to build on strengths and compensate for weaknesses.
o Habit 7: Sharpen the Saw. This habit encompasses the previous six. This is the process of using and
exploring all life; the physical, mental, spiritual, and social. To be effective followers and effective
leaders requires living a full, balanced life.

HOW TO BECOME A MORE EFFECTIVE FOLLOWER:

1. Develop your personal potential
2. Used your sources of power
a. Personal power
1. Knowledge: is a source of personal power for followers
2. Expertise: a follower who has demonstrated performance develops expertise and can influence
decisions.
3. Effort: the power to influence is also associated with the effort put forth by a follower
4. Persuasion: another source of power is persuasion, the direct appeal to leaders in an
organization for desired outcomes
5. Speak Truth: in addition to being direct, speaking truthfully to a leader can be a source of power
b. Position power
1. Location: a central location provides influence for a follower (who is known to many and
contributes to the work of many)
2. Information: a position that is key to the flow of information is influential to those who seek the
information
3. Relationships: the larger network of relationships, a follower has greater opportunity to
persuade others and to influence
FOUR STRATEGIES OF MANAGING UP:
BE A RESOURCE FOR THE LEADER HELP THE LEADER TO BE A GOOD LEADER
- Understand the leaders needs - Ask for advice
- Inform the leader of personal goals - Tell leader what you need
- Give ideas, challenges to leader - Feedback on what/is not working
- Align self to team purpose/vision
BUILD A RELATIIONSHIP WITH THE LEADER VIEW THE LEADER REALISTICALLY
- Develop a real, honest relationship - Give up idealized leader images
- Build mutual respect - Don’t hide anything
- Encourage two-way feedback - don’t criticize leader to others
- disagree and debate with integrity and fit to
the vision/task