Leading Followers

FOLLOWERSHIP OF THE LEADER
LeadingFOLLOWERS

“The function of
leadership is to produce
more leaders, not more
followers.”
Ralph Nader
US President 2008 Candidate

4
“He who cannot be a
good follower cannot be a
good leader.”
Aristotle

5
“In searching so zealously for better
leaders we tend to lose sight of the
people these leaders will lead.
Organizations stand or fall partly on
the basis of how well their leaders
lead, but partly also on the basis of
how well their followers follow.”
Robert Kelley
Distinguished Service Professor of Management
Carnegie Mellon University

We need to understand the human
qualities that allow effective followership
to occur.
Kelly, Robert (1988). In Praise of Followers, HBR

Kelly’s Followership Model
ALIENATED FOLLOWERS EFFECTIVE FOLLOWERS
YES PEOPLESHEEP
Active
Passive
Dependent, Uncritical Thinking
Independent, Critical Thinking
SURVIVORS

Critical Thinking
Thinking independently
and being mindful of the
effects of one’s own and
other people’s behavior
on achieving the
organization’s vision.
Uncritical Thinking
Failing to consider
possibilities beyond what
one is told; accepting the
leader’s ideas without
thinking.

•Uninvolved
•Needs constant
supervision
•Avoids responsibility
•Fully engaged
•Demonstrates a sense
of ownership
•Problem solver
•Involved in decision
making
Passive Behavior Active Behavior

Complete the
FOLLOWERSHIP SELF-
ASSESSMENT QUESTIONNAIRE
http://mbanicas.weebly.com/identify-your-followership-style.html

Followership Style Questionnaire
ALIENATED
FOLLOWERS
EFFECTIVE
FOLLOWERS
YES PEOPLESHEEP
Active
Passive
30
45
60
15
15 45 600
0
SURVIVORS

SHEEP
Active
Kelly, Robert (1992). Kelly’s Model of Follower Behavior
Passive
• Passive/dependent,
uncritical thinking
• Lack initiative
• Does not play an active role
• Simply comply with any
order given
• Uninvolved
• Needs constant supervision
• Avoids responsibility

YES PEOPLE
Active
Passive
•Active/dependent, uncritical thinking
•Readily carry out orders uncritically
–Dangerous if orders contradict
standards
–Ex. Person who always says
what he thinks leaders want to
hear
• Participates actively but does not
use critical thinking skills
• Participates willingly without
thought to consequences
• Avoids conflict

Active
Passive
SURVIVORS
• Right in the middle
• Rarely committed to
work/group goals
• Does just enough to get by
• Mediocre performers clogging
the arteries of an organization
• Has qualities of all four
extremes
• Uses what benefits his/her
position
• Political
• Avoids Risk

ALIENATED FOLLOWERS
Active
Passive
• Passive/independent,
critical thinking
• Festering wounds in an
organization
• Criticize, but never offer
constructive support
• Passive, yet independent
• Critical, independent
thinkers
• Focus on shortcomings of
organization and leaders

EFFECTIVE FOLLOWERS
Active
Passive
• Active/independent, critical
thinking
• Problem solvers
• Can work with others
• Reflect on goals of the
organization
• Not hesitant to bring concerns to
leader
• Independent and critical thinker
• Active in the organization
• Does not avoid risk or conflict
• Acts willingly
• Capable of self-management

Potter and Rosenbach Followership Model
POLITICIAN PARTNER
CONTRIBUTORSUBORDINATE
Low
Potter and Rosenbach Followership Model (2012). Contemporary Issues In Leadership
Relationship
Initiative
Performance
Initiative
High
High

Performance Initiative
The extent to which an
individual follower can do his or
her job, works effectively with
other members of the team,
embraces change, and views
self as an important assets in
team performance.
Relationship Initiative
• The degree to which followers
act to improve their working
relationship with their leaders.
• Loyal
• Identify with their leaders’ vision
of the future
• Will raise objections and
negotiate differences when
needed.

POLITICIAN
Low
Relationship
Initiative
Performance
Initiative
High
High
• Put much more emphasis
on getting along well with
their boss than getting
things done.
• Loyal and sensitive to
interpersonal dynamics

PARTNER
Low
Relationship
Initiative
Performance
Initiative
High
High
• Individuals who are committed
to high performance and
building good relationships
with their leaders.
• Take time to understand their
leaders’ perspectives and buy
into their vision for the team.
• More likely than politicians to
raise uncomfortable issues and
hold leaders accountable for
decisions.

CONTRIBUTOR
Low
Relationship
Initiative
Performance
Initiative
High
High
Hard workers and
often are motivated
to be subject matter
experts in their
organization.

SUBORDINATE
Low
Relationship
Initiative
Performance
Initiative
High
High
• Follows in the more
traditional sense.
• Told what to do –
follow orders.
• Particularly low to
medium performers
and relationships.

Pros
• Allows leaders to assess their
relationship with their
followers
• Allows what styles of
leadership are required to
motivate each type of follower
• How to create effect
followership
Cons
• Puts much of the onus of effective
followership on followers. It
leaves the power into the
followers’ role to identify, buy in,
raise objections, encourage
constructive feedback, or perform
at high levels with their leader
• Does not take into account
incompetence within the
leadership role. The leader can
also be unethical of have evil
tendencies.

Curphy – Roellig Followership Model
CRITICIZER SELF - STARTER
BROWN - NOSERSLACKERS
Low
Curphy, G., Roellig, M. (2011). Followership Model
Critical Thinking
Engagement
High
High

Complete the
FOLLOWERSHIP SELF-
ASSESSMENT QUESTIONNAIRE

Assessing Followership Types
CRITICIZER
SELF -
STARTER
BROWN -
NOSER
SLACKERS
Low
Critical Thinking
Engagement
High
High
-20
-20
-10
0
0
10 20
-10
10
20
UNDEFINED

Curphy – Roellig Followership Model
CRITICIZER
Strong critical thinking skills
Motivated to find fault in leaders
Pessimistic employees
Seeking to convert others to find fault
with leader
Jaded employee due to lack of
recognition
SELF - STARTER
Passionate
Always thinking of how to improve
performance
Think of creative ways to resolve issues
Lack patience
Risk of becoming a Slacker or Criticizer
BROWN - NOSER
Strong work ethic
Loyal to the leader
Lack critical thinking
Reluctant to make decisions
Can become a Self-Starter
SLACKERS
Creative solutions to avoid work
Strong sense of entitlement
High motivation
Can become Self-Starter if provided
with correct tasks
Low
Critical Thinking
Engagement
High
High

Curphy – Roellig Model Implications
1. The model can help leaders assess follower types and determine the best
ways to motivate direct reports.
2. Follower types are not static; they change depending on the situation.
3. It is not unusual for followers to start their careers as brown-nosers.
Need to learn before they are comfortable.
4. Organizations that have decent selection processes are more likely to
hire brown-nosers and self-starters than criticizers and slackers. The
longer a person stays in an organization, the more likely they will become
criticizers
5. People in positions of authority also play followership roles. They need to
realize how their own followership type affects how they lead others.

Meilinger’s Ten Rules of Followership
1. Don’t blame your boss for an unpopular decision or policy; your job is to
support, not undermine.
2. Fight with your boss if necessary; but do it in private, avoid embarrassing
situations, and never reveal to others what was discussed.
3. Make the decision, then run it past the boss; use your initiative.
4. Accept responsibility whenever it is offered.
5. Tell the truth and don’t quibble; your boss will be giving advice up the
chain of command based on what you said.
6. Do your homework; give your boss all the information needed to make a
decision; anticipate possible questions.
Col Phillip S. Meilinger, The Ten Rules of Good Followership,
Concepts for Air Force Leader

Meilinger’s Ten Rules of Followership
7. When making a recommendation, remember who will probably have to
implement it. This means you must know your own limitations and
weaknesses as well as your strengths.
8. Keep your boss informed of what’s going on in the unit; people will be
reluctant to tell him or her their problems and successes. You should do
it for them, and assume someone else will tell the boss about yours.
9. If you see a problem, fix it. Don’t worry about who would have gotten
the blame or who now gets the praise.
10. Put in more than an honest day’s work, but don’t ever forget the needs
of your family. If they are unhappy, you will be too, and your job
performance will suffer accordingly.
Col Phillip S. Meilinger, The Ten Rules of Good Followership,
Concepts for Air Force Leader

Follower should influence the leader…

WAYS TO INFLUENCE YOUR LEADER
Be a Resource for the Leader
Determine the leader’s needs.
Zig where the leader zags.
Tell leader about you.
Align self to team purpose/vision.
Help the Leader Be a Good Leader
Ask for advice.
Tell leader what you think.
Find things to thank leader for.
View the Leader Realistically
Give up idealized leader images.
Don’t hide anything.
Don’t criticize leader to others.
Disagree occasionally.
Build a Relationship
Ask about leader at your
level/position.
Welcome feedback and criticism.
Ask leader to tell you company
stories.
Thomson Learning, Inc (2008)

But, what type of a worker /
follower are you?

FOUR TYPES OF WORKERS
HIGH DOING
LOW THINKING
HIGH THINKING
HIGH DOING
HIGH THINKING
LOW DOING
LOW THINKING
LOW DOING
High
Tan Sri Ismail Adam, Former Director General of Public Service Malaysia 2005 - 2010
Low
Low High
DOING
THINKING

But are we ready for the followership of
the millennials?

Without followers, there are no leaders.
The nature of leader- follower relationships
involves reciprocity, or the mutual exchange
of influence.
Daft, Richard (2008). The Leadership Experience

So... What kind of
follower are you?
Well... It depends
on what kind
of a leader
you are?

Leading Followers

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