Leadership and Followership Concepts

Relationship Between Leadership and Followership

• Leadership cannot exist without followership; both are integral in a dynamic that influences outcomes.
• Effective leaders adapt their styles based on the expectations and experiences of their followers.
• Emotional Intelligence (EI) plays a critical role in the effectiveness of leadership practice.

Guiding Principles of Leadership

• Followership:

  • Defines individuals' behaviors and roles in supporting leaders.
  • Involves loyalty, cooperation, and participation in achieving common goals.
  • Different followers have varied expectations, influenced by their backgrounds and values.

• Post-modernism:

  • Challenges traditional authority and objective knowledge, advocating for multiple perspectives.
  • Emphasizes egalitarian approaches in leadership and social constructs.

• Leadership and Power:

  • Leadership is about guiding others toward common goals and can exist without formal power.
  • Power stems from one's ability to influence others, derived from authority, expertise, and other sources.

Leadership Dynamics and Emotional Intelligence

• Understanding Emotional Intelligence enhances leader-follower relationships.
• Followers' commitment and motivation are influenced by leaders' styles and actions.
• The 21st-century workplace faces challenges that change perceptions of leadership, requiring adaptability.

Co-creation of Leadership

• Leaders often embody roles of both leaders and followers within dynamic contexts.
• Effective leadership is a social process driven by the context of interactions and relationships.

Servant Leadership

• Emphasizes serving team members and fostering respectful workplace culture.
• Leaders should model behaviours that encourage a supportive environment, which amplifies team effectiveness.

Challenges in Motivating Followers

• Engaging followers who are critical thinkers vs. those who merely agree can be complex.
• Implementing engagement strategies and surveys helps gauge follower involvement and motivation.

Enhancing Decision-Making Skills

• Leaders must take responsibility and model accountability for their decisions and team outcomes.
• Flexibility and adaptability in leadership styles are crucial during challenging circumstances.

Post-modern Leadership Characteristics

• Rejects the singular leadership style; recognizes the necessity to draw from various approaches.
• Organizational structure is less hierarchical, focusing more on empowered teams and fluid information flow.

Leadership & Power Framework

• Power is essential to leadership but must be understood beyond positional authority.
• Northouse outlines six sources of power: Expert, Referent, Legitimate, Reward, Coercive, and Information.

Positional vs. Personal Power

• Distinguishes between power derived from position (authority) and personal influence (charisma/competence).

Power as Influencer

• Leadership effectiveness is influenced by the leader's ability to leverage different types of power according to situational needs.

Trait Theory and Leadership Development

• Leaders may possess inherent traits (traits theory), but skills can also be learned and developed.
• Skills approach emphasizes learning and refining leadership competencies.

Reflective Leadership Practice

• Continuous self-reflection aids leaders in assessing their impact and aligning actions with goals.
• Engaging in reflective exercises can enhance emotional intelligence and decision-making patterns.

Essential Questions for Self-Reflection

• What have I learned from my leadership experiences?
• How can I improve my engagement with followers?

Culture and Leadership

• Organizational culture is shaped collectively, not by individuals alone; must account for followers' needs and feedback.

Summary

• The interplay of leadership and followership, combined with evolving perceptions of power dynamics, forms the foundation of effective leadership practices today. Emotional intelligence, critical engagement with followers, and continuous learning are vital in navigating modern leadership challenges.