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  • Followers – Types 2

    In the last byte, we began our discussion by classifying followers. In today’s byte, we continue this discussion to understand the classification better. 

    • Alienated Followers: these followers think independently and critically, however are passive in their behavior. The result is in these people being psychologically and emotionally distanced from their leaders. They could potentially be disruptive and act as a threat to the health of the organization.
    • Sheep: are followers who do not think independently or critically and are passive in their behavior. They just follow what is being told by their leader.
    • Yes People: these are followers who also do not think independently or critically, yet are very active in their behavior! The uncritically reinforce the thinking and ideas of their leaders with enthusiasm, never question or challenge the leader’s ideas and proposals! Being surrounded by yes people could be dangerous to a leader because they are the most likely to give a false positive reaction and no warning of potential pitfalls.
    • Survivors: these followers are the least disruptive and the lowest risk followers in an organization. Their behavior could be understood as – “better safe than sorry”.
    We shall discuss about effective leaders in the next byte.

  • Followers – Types

    In the last byte, we looked at the concept of followership. It is always an interesting trick when one tries understanding if there is a potential classification of anything that is the subject of study. In today’s byte, we attempt to begin our discussion on the types of followers.

    We could classify followers into groups based on two dimensions:
    a. activity versus passivity
    b. independent, critical thinking versus dependent, uncritical thinking.
     
    [Refer to this article for more details: http://hbr.org/1988/11/in-praise-of-followers/ar/1]
     
    We could represent this in the diagram below:
    We shall continue this discussion in the next byte.

  • Leadership: Role of followers

    In the last byte, we looked at the concept of servant leadership. In today’s byte, we begin our discussion on the role of followers.

    The way we are generally thought to distinguish any two segments is by strict compartmentalization. In this context, we distinguish the two roles – leadership and followership as being completely separate from one another! But it is important to understand that this is just a view and as individuals in real world we could be doing both these two roles not just at different times but also at the same time!
     
    The traditional view of followership is generally one where the followers are passive, but in the contemporary setting the follower’s role is an active one with a potential for leadership! This could also be interpreted in some forms as special case of leadership: self-leadership; where the follower assumes responsibility for influencing his or her own performance.
     
    In such cases, the emphasis is on his or her own responsibility and self-control. Being self-lead would mean that the self-leader would perform motivating task with ease, but they would also need to do finish work that is not naturally motivating.
     
    Self-leadership would also help followers to be disciplined and effective; and in fact this forms the first essential steps for an individual to become a leader.
     
    Organizationally, one could use programs like – empowerment, self-managed work teams etc to encourage and activate the follower’s role.

  • Servant Leadership

    In the last byte, we attempted to understand some of the differences in women leaders and men leaders, we also hinted a bit on the need to study it further. In today’s byte, we look at the concept of Servant Leadership.

    Servant leadership assists from the thought that leaders should serve employees, customers and the community!

    Developed by Robert Greenleaf (1904-1990), who was the director of management research at AT&T for numerous years, the concept emerged out of his essays.
     
    Another tenet of servant leadership is that work exists for the person as much as the person exists for work – servant leaders try to find out the will of the group and lead based on that.
     
    Servant leaders could thus be seen as stewards who consider leadership a trust and desire to leave the organization in better shape for future generation!
    Here is possibly where you could learn more about the movement: https://greenleaf.org/what-is-servant-leadership/

  • Women Leaders

    In the last byte, we looked at the role of trust in leadership. In today’s byte, we look at women leaders.

    Most of us have heard about – Marissa Mayer, who is the president and CEO of Yahoo! She is working hard to turn around the fortunes of Yahoo! and has shown good promise. On the other hand, we have also heard about leaders like Jack Welsh who was the CEO of GE between 1981 and 2001.

    The question then is – do women and men lead differently?
     
    Stereotypes of people generally classify successful managers as having more male-oriented attributes than female oriented attributes! While there is legitimate gender difference that may exist, the same leadership traits may be interpreted differently in a man and women because of the stereotype.
     
    It has been found that women tend to use more people-oriented style that is inclusive and empowering. Women managers excel in positions that demand strong interpersonal skills.
    With more and more women assuming positions of leadership in organization, it is apt to know more about the ways women lead.

  • Leadership – Trust

    In the last byte, we began our discussion about the emerging issues in leadership specifically – emotional intelligence. In today’s byte, we look at the role of trust in leadership.

    Trust refers to the willingness to be vulnerable to the actions of another.

    Trust is an essential element of leadership. Trust plays an important role in emotional intelligence.

    The implications of the above definition of trust, is that the followers believe that their leader will act with the followers welfare in mind! In an organizational setting where top-management trusts each other, implementing a strategy would be easier – since the team members trust each other, it would be easier to have a “buy-in” from employees on the direction of the company. If employees trust their leaders, they will have a buy in more readily!

    Note, it is important to note that effective leaders know whom and how to trust. At one extreme we find leaders who trust no one, they are generally lonely. At the other extreme, we find leaders who trust a close circle of advisors, listening only to them and gradually cutting themselves off from dissenting opinions! Leaders need to evaluate both the competence and the position of those they trust, seeking out a variety of opinions and inputs.

  • Emotional Intelligence

    In the last byte, we looked at Charismatic Leadership. In today’s byte, we begin our discussion on emerging issues in Leadership, specifically: Emotional Intelligence.
     
    Emotional Intelligence is important for leaders to be effective. Emotional Intelligence refers to the ability of an individual’s to recognize and manage emotions of one and in others. Emotional Intelligence is equally if not more important than Intelligence or technical skills of a leader.
     
    Emotional intelligence is assumed to be composed of the following competencies:
    1. Self-awareness
    2. Empathy
    3. Adaptability
    4. Self-confidence.
    It is common to develop emotional intelligence as one grows old, but however it could be learnt.

    Emotional Intelligence affects the way leaders make decisions. In conditions of higher stress, leaders with higher emotional intelligence tend to keep their cool and make better decisions, while those leaders with lower emotional intelligence make poor decisions and lose their effectiveness.

  • Charismatic Leadership

    In the last byte, we looked at transformational leadership and how it is different from transactional leadership. In today’s byte, we discuss about charismatic leadership.

    Charismatic Leadership is one where the leader uses his/her personal abilities and talents in order to have profound and extraordinary effects on followers.

    “Charisma” is a Greek word meaning “gift”; the charismatic leader’s unique and powerful gifts are the source of the leader’s great influence with his/her followers. The followers view the charismatic leader as one who possesses superhuman or even mystical qualities. These leaders often rely on referent power! This form of leadership is found to be effective in times of uncertainty.

    Charismatic leaders are believed to chosen born with the “gift” or are those who cultivate the “gift” – i.e. some say: charismatic leaders are born, while other say they are taught.
     
    Charismatic leaders carry not only a great potential for high levels of achievement and performance on the part of their followers but also shadowy risk of destructive courses of action that could harm their followers or others. (e.g. Adolf Hitler)

  • Trasformational Leadership

    In the last byte, we looked at what could be the substitutes for leadership. In today’s byte, we look at the concept of Trasformational Leadership and keep differentiating it from transactional leadership.

    Transactional Leadership is one in which the leader uses rewards and punishments to make deals with their subordinates. On the other hand, Transformational leaders aspire and excite followers to achieve higher levels of performance.
     
    One often wonders if leadership could only be one of the two forms, however this is not the case – Leadership could be both transformational and Transactional. Transformational leadership could strengthen the effects of transactional leadership. However, even the best of transactional leadership cannot be a substitute for transformational leadership.
     
    Transformational leadership is more effective when compared to transactional leadership since the leader encourages the followers to set goals that are congruent with the followers’ own authentic interests and values. This allows the followers to see their work as important and their goals as aligned to their personal aspirations.

  • Substitutes for Leadership

    In the last byte, we looked at the Leader-Member Exchange Theory. In today’s byte, we look at what could act as substitutes for leadership.
     
    A simple question that would definitely arise in anyone’s mind is – Given all the discussion, could we ever substitute leadership?

    The answer seemingly is yes – sometimes situation can neutralize or even replace leader behavior, and this forms the central idea behind finding substitution to leadership. Here are some examples:
    • When one finds a task very satisfying and feedback about performance –  there would be no need for leadership behavior. The satisfaction of the employee comes from the interesting work and feedback there in.
    • Other examples are:
      •     employee’s high skills
      •     team cohesiveness
      •     formal controls on the part of the organization
    • It would be interesting to think of a services settings where employees with extensive contact with customers receive a larger amount of the leadership from the customer and the need for formal supervision would be reduced!