The Courageous Follower
A New View of Leader-Follower
Relationships
Leader
Followers
Based on the Books
The Courageous Follower and The Art of Followership
Copyright 2009, Ira Chaleff. May be used with attribution
Highlights of the Emerging Field
of Followership Studies
• Leader-centric studies citing role of followers
• 1988 - HBR article “In Praise of Followers” by
Robert Kelley
• 1992 – The Power of Followership – Kelley
• 1995 – The Courageous Follower – Chaleff
• 2003 – Dixon – Dissertation on Chaleff model
• 2005 – Lipman-Blumen – Allure of Toxic Leaders
• 2006 – Rethinking Followership Conference
• 2008 – The Art of Followership – Lipman-Blumen,
Riggio, Chaleff
• 2008 – Followership – Barbara Kellerman
• 2008 – ILA Followership Learning Community
• 2009 – Weekly enquiries re: dissertations/
books/articles
Why Followership Now?
• Groundwork laid by leadership
scholarship
• Failures of leadership at all levels
• Inverted pyramid in knowledge orgs
• Widespread access to information
• Telecommunications enabling peer to
peer orientation/collaboration
• Language/memes entering the culture
• Professional development generating
followership standards
Resistance to being “a follower”
• Cultural bias towards leaders
• Confusion between follower as
personality type and follower as role
Leader-Follower Organization
Leader-follower
Leader-follower
Leader-follower
Leader-follower
Leader-follower Leader-follower Leader-follower Leader-follower
Leader-follower
Leader-follower
Source: Gene Dixon
5
Resistance to being “a follower”
• Cultural bias towards leaders
• Confusion between follower as
personality type and follower as role
• Desire for egalitarianism
Shifting Roles
Follower
Leader
Follower
7
Shifting Roles
Leader
Follower
Follower
8
Shifting Roles
Follower
Follower
Leader
Distinctions still exist when roles shift with activity
9
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
The Courageous Follower: A New Model
of Leader-Follower Relationships
Leader
Common
Purpose
Followers
Shared Values
Leaders and Followers
Serve a Common Purpose
Source: The Courageous Follower – Ira Chaleff
Five Dimensions of
Courageous Followership
Assume Responsibility
for common purpose
Constructively
Challenge
counterproductive
policies &
behaviors
Support
leader and
group
energetically
Courage
to:
Participate in
Transformation
Take Moral Action
when needed
Followership Styles
High
Support
Implementer
Low
Constructive
Challenge
Resource
Partner
Individualist
High
Constructive
Challenge
Low
Support
Source: The Courageous Follower – Ira Chaleff
13
Why do Leaders Need Partners?
What dynamics of Leader development and
behavior require Courageous Follower behavior?
14
Visibility & Pressures Intensify
as Leader Rises
Regulation
Litigation
Rivals
Press
Family
Budget
Interest Groups
Identity Groups
Leaders Need Energetic Support
15
Impact Magnifies as Leader Rises
Leaders Need Constructive Feedback
16
Candid Information & Feedback
2. Improved Action
1. Poor Action
Negative
Result
Disconfirming
Feedback
= Learning
17
Interrupted Candor & Feedback
2. Continued Poor Action
1.Action
Follower
Leader
Screened-out
Feedback
Inhibited
Feedback
= No Learning
18
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
SelfActualization
Achievement
Social Needs Belonging
Safety
Physical Survival
Courage and Skill are needed to speak up
19
Other Models of Followership Styles
Art of Followership Chapter 1: Robert Kelley
 Independent Thinking & Action Engagement
 Exemplary Followers vs, Sheep, Yes-people,
Alienated and Pragmatics
Art of Followership Chapter 11: Rodger Adair
 How employees view themselves
 Disciples and Doers vs. Disengaged and
Disgruntleds
Followership: Barbara Kellerman
 Levels of engagement
 Isolate, Bystander, Participant, Activist, Diehard
20
Need for a Research Agenda
 Role of followership in world events
 Followership in different cultures
 Early follower development
 Evolving role of followers
 Language of followership
 Courageous Conscience
* Adapted from Kelley chapter – Art of Followership
21
For more
information
The Courageous Follower
www.courageousfollower.com
Leader-Follower
Partnership
International Leadership Association’s
Followership Community of Learning
http://followership2.pbwiki.com/
22