LEADERSHIP AND FOLLOWERSHIP Jeff Klein Executive Director, Wharton Leadership Program

WHAT IS A GREAT FOLLOWER?

EXPLORING FOLLOWERSHIP

Effective followers… – Manage themselves well – Commit to the organization and to a purpose/principle (or person) outside themselves – Build their competence and focus their efforts for maximum impact – Act with courage, honesty, and credibility EFFECTIVE FOLLOWERS A question… how are these characteristics different than the characteristic of effective leaders?

Alienated FollowersEffective Followers Passive FollowersConformist Followers SOME FOLLOWERS ARE MORE EFFECTIVE Active in Role Dependent, Uncritical Thinking Passive in Role Independent, Critical Thinking Kelley, R.E. (1988). In praise of followers. Harvard Business Review, 66,

ATTRIBUTES OF EXEMPLARY FOLLOWERS Think for themselves Go above and beyond the job Support the team and leader, focus on the goal Realize they add value by being who they are, and take initiative to increase value Structure their daily work and activities, and review progress See clearly how their job relates to the enterprise Put themselves on the path to accomplishment Increase their scope of critical path activities, focus their energy on critical path Develop additional expertise Champion new ideas Kelley, R.E. (1988). In praise of followers. Harvard Business Review, 66,

ATTRIBUTES OF EXEMPLARY FOLLOWERS Think for themselves Go above and beyond the job Support the team and leader, focus on the goal Realize they add value by being who they are, and take initiative to increase value Structure their daily work and activities, and review progress See clearly how their job relates to the enterprise Put themselves on the path to accomplishment Increase their scope of critical path activities, focus their energy on critical path Develop additional expertise Champion new ideas Kelley, R.E. (1988). In praise of followers. Harvard Business Review, 66,

FOLLOWERSHIP DEFINED? COMBINED BOARD MEETING Followership is the act of supporting another person’s leadership. In other words, followership is the act of authorizing another person to be powerful.

WHY DO WE NEED FOLLOWERS?

POWER AND AUTHORITY Bases of Authority – Hard Power vs. Soft Power (Nye) – 5 Sources of Authority (French and Raven) Hard Power: Positional Authority, Reward Authority, Coercive Authority Soft Power: Expert Authority, Referent Authority

POWER AND AUTHORITY Bases of Authority – Hard Power vs. Soft Power (Nye) – 5 Sources of Authority (French and Raven) Hard Power: Positional Authority, Reward Authority, Coercive Authority Soft Power: Expert Authority, Referent Authority

FOLLOWERS’ FOUR BASIC NEEDS

STRENGTHS-BASED LEADERSHIP (GALLUP) Trust: In organizations lacking trust in leadership, 1 in 12 employees are engaged. When employees trust the leadership, 1 in 2 employees are engaged. Compassion: Employees with supervisors who “care about them as a person” are more productive, more profitable, and have longer tenure with the organization. Stability: Employees with credible, consistent leaders express more confidence in the organization and in themselves. Hope: 69% of employees who felt “enthusiastic about their future” were engaged in their jobs. 1% of employees who disagreed or strongly disagreed with that statement were engaged.

BE POWERFUL COMBINED BOARD MEETING “The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don't have any.” Alice Walker, author and activist