I have been in a variety of leader-follower relationships over the years and more often than not on the side of the follower. I enjoy following and take pride in, not only following, but ensuring that the other followers do their part to make the whole leader-follower relationship work smoothly. I do this because that is what I would want my followers to do for me and enjoy working hard for a good leader. I have always felt that if everyone works together then things run better. However, I realize that this can be an idealistic way of looking at leadership and I certainly have had my share of followers; ones that I tried to lead and ones that were my co-workers that were not on board. The bottom line is that a good follower can be extremely motivated by authentic leadership.
One of the most important parts of a good leader-follower relationship is trust. Trust is one of the fundamentals of authentic leadership and as leadership consultant Steve Botham said, “people will only follow people they can trust” (PSU WC L12, P3). When this trust is authentic, then the leader is much more effective. People are intuitive and leaders that are not genuine will eventually be discovered and then will no longer have trust in them. This will quickly become pervasive throughout an organization and erode productivity. The Authentic Leadership Model below from a study of authentic leadership illustrates the relationship between the leader and follower and their significant characteristics (Wong & Cummings, 2009).
An essential part of authentic leadership is intrapersonal perspective, which according to Northouse, is “what goes on within the leader” (2013). This self-reflection and awareness is essential to becoming an authentic leader. By knowing oneself and understanding one’s values, identity, emotions, motives, and goals, one can project themselves in an authentic way (Avolio, Gardner, Walumbwa, Luthans & May, 2004). In addition to this this, Avolio et al list the self-regulation characteristics of balanced processing, relational transparency, and authentic behavior that rounds out the authentic leader (2004). The important thing to understand as a leader who strives to become more effective is that authentic leadership can be learned and improved upon. The reward of this authenticity will be the trust of their followers with is an essential ingredient for lasting success.
References:
Avolio, B.J., Gardner, W.L., Walumbwa, F.O., Luthans, F. and May, D.R. (2004), “Unlocking the mask: a look at the process by which authentic leaders impact follower attitudes and behaviours”, The Leadership Quarterly, Vol. 15 No. 6, pp. 801-23.
Northouse, P. (2013). Leadership: Theory and practice. (6 ed.). Thousand Oaks, California: Sage Publishing.
Pennsylvania State University World Campus (2013). PSYCH 485: Leadership in Work Settings. Lesson 12: Authentic Leadership. Retrieved from: https://courses.worldcampus.psu.edu/sp13/psych485/002/content/12_lesson/03_page.html.
Wong, C., & Cummings, G. (2009). Authentic leadership: A new theory for nursing or back to basics? Journal of Health Organization and Management, 23(5), 522-38. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/14777260910984014