The romance of the follower: part 2

Abstract

Purpose -The purpose of this paper is to progress beyond Part 1, in which the research on followership was surveyed, showing it has significant practical importance in enhancing career and organizational value. Part 2 aims to present a comprehensive framework to understand followership and clarify how and where followership is different (and the same) as leadership. It seeks to show how previous research fits into this new framework, as well as highlighting gaps and opportunities. Part 3 aims to present examples of how this model can used as a training tool, in mentoring, for performance appraisals, and for designing HR solutions.Design/methodology/approach -The paper presents a new framework for followership, articulates its features, and puts it into the context of previous ideas about followership.Findings -There are real and important differences between leadership and followership. Some attributes and characteristics are unique to good followers while others, such as intelligence are generally applicable to all employees. Finally, followership can be understood as two separate competencies: leader support and personal manageability, which refer to situation-specific and generic followership behaviours respectively.Practical implications -The three articles are of particular interest to senior executives and HR departments.Originality/value -This paper presents a new way of understanding followership, and of putting it into perspective with leadership. As such, the three articles are of particular interest to senior executives and HR departments.

Conceptualising followership – a review of the literature

“…In their view, organizational improvement can be gained by enhancing both leadership and followership skills. Also, good followers derive greater satisfaction, attract higher remuneration, achieve self-actualization and enhance organizational effectiveness and adaptability (Hurwitz and Hurwitz, 2009a: 84; Hurwitz and Hurwitz, 2009b: 200). A working knowledge of followership can facilitate organizational change and followership coaching is likely to reduce executive derailment when a new senior leader or CEO is recruited with a different leadership style that requires other employees to adapt their own followership style (Hurwitz and Hurwitz, 2009c).…”

What Is Toxic Followership?

“…The first recommendation is to redefine followership and leadership. Many traits that make great leaders are the same ones that make great followers (Hurwitz & Hurwitz, ). People need to be trained in these skills and shown by example the role of a good follower.…”

Followership in Action

“…A wide variety of leadership books (Bligh & Riggio, 2013;Daft, 2005;Johnson, 2012Johnson, , 2015Kouzes & Posner, 2012;Lipman-Blumen, 2005;Yukl, 2013); articles from various edited works (Avolio & Reichard, 2008;Chaleff, 2008;Hogg, 2008;Kelley, 2008;Reichard, Serrano, & Wefald, 2013;Razin & Kark, 2013); and other scholarly research (Carsten, Uhl-Bien, West, Patera, & McGregor, 2010;Hurwitz & Hurwitz, 2009a, 2009b, 2009cOc & Bashshur, 2013;van Gils, Quaquebeke & van Knippenberg, 2010), add value to educating leaders and students of leadership studies about followers and followership theory. Yet, no prior work on followership has ever been written solely through the lens of case studies and scholarly post-commentary.…”