THE COURAGEOUS FOLLOWER Dynamics of The Leader-Follower Relation

Questions to Consider  How does a follower effectively support a leader and relieve pressures?  How does a follower become a shaper rather than simply an implementer?  How does a follower contribute to leadership development rather than become a critic of leadership failings?

Resistance to Being “A Follower”  Cultural bias towards leaders  Confusion between follower as personality type and follower as role  Desire for egalitarianism  Lack of positive models of followership

Followers…  Must understand their own power and how to use it.  Must appreciate the value of leaders and cherish the critical contributions they make.  Understand the seductiveness and pitfalls of the power of leadership.

A Dynamic Model of Followership  Balances and supports dynamic leadership  Embraces rather than rejects the identity of follower because the model speaks to our  Courage  Power  Integrity  Responsibility  Sense of Service

Courageous Followership  Built on the foundation of courageous relationship.  Courage to be right, be wrong, or to be different from each other.  Danger in the leader-follower model is the assumption that the leader’s interpretation must dominate.  Stay true to own light while helping leaders follow theirs.  How do you establish and maintain a true relationship with a leader?

Purpose Not Person  Followers & leaders both orbit around the purpose.  Without purpose, leaders and followers only pursue their perceived self-interest, not their common interest.  Shared values validate the purpose and how it will be achieved.

The Paradox of Followership  Responsible for own actions.  Share responsibility for the actions of those whom we can influence.  Followers are accountable for their leaders.  Support & help correct actions.

What Creates Partnership?  Shared Purpose  Competence  Support  Trust  Courage  Constructive Confrontation

Why Do Leaders Need Partners?  Visibility & pressures intensify as a leader rises  Flaws magnify as a leader rises  A Leader’s Actions have greater impact

Johari’s Window Open Aware Self Blind Self Unknown Potential Self Hidden Self Known to Others Not Known to Others Known to Self Unknown to Self Developed by Joseph Luft & Harry Ingham

Who Does a Follower Serve?  Shares a common purpose with the leader  Believes in what the organization is trying to accomplish  Wants both the leader and the organization to succeed  Is a steward of the resources an organization

Loyalty of a Follower  To the purpose of the organization and to helping each other (leader and follower) stay true to that purpose.

Power in the Relationship  Power that resides entirely on the leader is not good for the follower or the leader.  Followers do not think for themselves & fail to take appropriate actions.  Critical for follower to connect with their power and learn how to use it.

Value of the Follower  Interdependent with not dependent on the leader  Self motivated not leader motivated  How well does the follower help the leader & organization pursue their common purpose within the context of their values.

Followership Styles ImplementerPartner ResourceIndividualist High Support High Constructive Challenge Low Support Low Constructive Challenge

Courage of the Follower  Willingness to consciously raise the level of risk.  Honest dialogue creates vitality.  Willing to ask questions without fear.  Sources of courage?  Develop the courage muscle.

Balance through Relationship  Leaders are the flame that ignites action.  Followers are the guarantors of the beneficial use of that power.  Followers provide balance if they can stand up to leaders. Two essential elements of relationship:  Develop Trust  Use that trust to speak honestly when appropriate.

Mature Relationships  Must confront a power leader about immature behavior.  Must be able to respect the accomplished adult, preserve the self-esteem and challenge the immature behavior.

Difference in Elevation  70% of followers will not question a leader’s point of view even when they feel the leader is about to make a mistake.  WHY?  “King’s Disease”—leaders lose touch with reality.

Finding Equal Footing  We are not our titles.  Must be willing to look a leader in the eye and credibly deliver our observations.  See the leader as a person.  “How can I help this fellow human being whose lot has been cast together with mine.”

When the Leader Is Not Equal  Deal with our own feelings  Cover for the leader or let the leader appear unprepared?  Increased workloads  Resentment can run high  Service to the organization must be the guiding principle

Trust & Reliability  Single most important factor on which followers evaluate a leader.  Reliability is used when speaking of follower. A leader needs to experience both trust and competence in a follower.  Trust can change rapidly.  Take aggressive efforts to find out why.

What Impedes Speaking Up? Hierarchical Structure vs. Hierarchical Relationships Hierarchical Structure: Externally assigned roles to clarify decision-making authority and accountability. Hierarchical Relationship: Internalized rules of behavior between those at different levels of authority.

Finding the Courage to Speak  Values  Purpose  Care for the Institution or Unit  Care for the Leader  Professional Standards  Certainty of Data  Other?

Strategies & Techniques for Giving Feedback  Make sure “own house is in order”  Prepare thoughts/data  Arrange appropriate time & place  Identify specific behavior/policy  Link to what the leader values

Strategies & Techniques for Giving Feedback  Report its impact and consequences  Convey the depth of feelings  Remain respectful and forthright  Confirm support for the leader

Leader and Follower Obligations  A good leader listens  The leader is under no obligation to accept feedback  Follower has an obligation to repeat feedback if warranted  A good follower finds effective ways to communicate

5 Dimensions of Courageous Followership Courage To… Assume Responsibility Take Moral Action Serve Challenge Participate in Transformation

“Followership is a discipline of supporting leaders and helping them to lead well. It is not submission, but the wise and good care of leaders, done out of a sense of gratitude for their willingness to take on the responsibilities of leadership, and a sense of hope and faith in their abilities and potential.” Reverend Paul Beedle

Sources  The Courageous Follower: Standing Up To & For Our Leaders. Ira Chaleff,  Various power point presentations by Ira Chaleff, 2009 & www. Courageousfollower.com

Courage to Assume Responsibility  Assume responsibility for yourself and the organization  Do not hold a paternalistic image of the leader or the organization  Initiate values-based, purposeful action to improve processes.  The authority to initiate comes for the courageous follower’s understanding and ownership of the common purpose and from the needs of those the organization serves.

Courage to Serve the Leader  Assume new or additional responsibilities to unburden the leader and serve the organization  Stand up for the leader and the tough decisions a leader must make for the organization to achieve its purpose  Are as passionate as the leader in pursuing the common purpose  Stay alert for areas in which their strengths complement the leader’s and assert themselves in these areas.

Courage to Challenge  Give voice to the discomfort they feel when the behaviors or policies of the leader or group conflict with their sense of what is right with respect to the purpose  Willing to stand up, stand out, to risk rejection, to initiate conflict in order to examine the actions of the leader and group when appropriate  Willing to deal with the emotions their challenge evokes in the leader and group  Value organizational harmony, but not at the expense of the common purpose and their integrity

Courage to Participate in Transformation  When behavior that jeopardizes the common purpose remains unchanged, must recognize the need for transformation.  Have to examine our own collusion with the leader’s behavior, what we do that allows it to continue.  Be prepared for an attack by the leader’s advisors who have a strong vested interest in not changing the status quo.  Examine our own need for transformation and become full participants in the change process.

Courage to Take Moral Action  Know when it is time to take a stand that is different than the leader’s. They answer to a higher set of values.  May involve refusing to obey a direct order, appealing to the next level of authority, or tending one’s own resignation.  May involve persona risk, but service to the common purpose justifies and sometimes demands acting.

Relationship Cycle Role Clarity 1. Create & Negotiate Relationships Information exchange, establish shared expectations, create adequate trust 2. Agreement/Commitment 3. Stability & Productivity Relationship in balance, Adequate satisfaction, Reasonably productive 5. Process of Planned Change & Negotiation. 4. The Rub Emergence of new hopes, visions, opportunities, problems, expectations BLOW OUT Disruption of expectations Anxiety/Denial/Avoidance Role Confusion Planned Termination Quick Fix “Go Back” (Fantasy) Withdrawal (emotional/physical) Termination Renegotiation Under Stress Acceptance of new realities