Chapter 12 of Northouse discusses the topic of followership which is when an individual is able to be influenced by others in order to accomplish a common goal (Northouse, 2019). More specifically, the book discusses Kelley’s Five Follower Role Types. This is where followership is based on the four dimensions of independent or dependent critical thinking and whether they are passively or actively engaged. For active engagement, the followers are committed and take initiative to accomplish an organization’s tasks while in passive engagement they wait for direction from the leader before taking action (Novikov, 2016). A dependent uncritical thinker accepts all information given without ever questioning it or thinking for themselves. But for an independent critical thinker, they are able to manage themselves, be independent, improve their skill set and analyze the consequences and opportunities of every decision (Northouse, 2019). From these dimensions came five follower types; they are passive, conformist, alienated, pragmatic, and exemplary. As you read on, you will soon see that the most cherished follower type is exemplary.
Let’s discuss these five follower types in a bit more detail, a passive follower relies too heavily on the leader and needs the leader to essentially hold their hand (Northouse, 2019). The conformist follower says “yes” to whatever the leader needs/says while still relying on them. The alienated follower is able to think for themselves but exudes negative energy into the atmosphere and isn’t engaged in tasks. Another followership type is pragmatic which are those who are always on the fence and won’t agree with anything unless the majority does. This follower type is moderate in both engagement and critical thinking skills (Northouse, 2019). In all these types they rely too heavily on their leader or if they are self-sufficient, they don’t do it in a positive manner. That’s why the exemplary follower type is the best because it encompasses both the dimensions of active engagement and independent critical thinking skills. An exemplary follower is someone who is active within the organization in a positive manner while still offering constructive criticism (Northouse, 2019). This shows that the employee is self-sufficient and can think for themselves while still working within a team. The following text will outline the two dimensions of an exemplary follower and how a leader can influence them.
Dimension 1: Active Engagement
Having followers that are active within an organization is important because high engagement has been linked to important work outcomes for the individual and organization (Reichard et. al, 2012). There are many ways that a leader can encourage actively engaged followers, the first is that they must be trustworthy and create a comfortable work environment. They then must genuinely believe in the success of the organization while also understanding the future. Lastly, they must clearly show investment and value within their followers (SHRM, 2019). In my own experience, if I am not actively engaged in a job then I won’t be producing and giving my all to achieve the best outcome. There are many different factors that affect my engagement level, but leadership is a massive part of it. I used to have a manager that would never be satisfied; I could go out of my way to make sure everything is perfect and they would still find something to complain about. That had an effect on my engagement because I wouldn’t want to go above and beyond due to the fact that my manager wouldn’t have been pleased anyway. As a result, I would just do what is told of me and not go the extra mile. This experience made me show up to work not eager and with the purpose of getting my shift done. But now that I have a manager that makes me want to be actively engaged, showing up doesn’t seem to feel like a chore anymore. I now show up to work ready to tackle any tasks and providing my input because I know that my manager values what I have to say. I don’t feel like I am going to work just because I need money anymore. I show up because I have a leader who makes me want to perform at my best. This has a good effect not only on my mental health but also on the customer service I provide and my relationship with my manager. Overall, the leader is as important as the follower when trying to make their subordinates actively engaged rather than just checking off a to-do list on what needs to be done.
Dimension 2: Independent Critical Thinking Skills
An exemplary follower must also present high independent critical thinking skills. In order for one to think critically, one must go beyond memorization and observing facts. A critical thinker must be “evaluative, creative, and innovative” (Costa, 2021). These are individuals that don’t need their leader to spell out everything because they know how to accomplish a task in their own creative way. They are independent, self-starting, and can make important decisions without the influence of others. When one can think critically all the leader has to do is oversee what they’re doing and their progress (Kelley, 1988). In this case, the leader and follower interact with each other to achieve the task rather than the leader just telling the subordinate what to do. It creates an interactive environment where everyone can communicate to accomplish a goal in the most efficient way possible. Having an independent critical thinker is ideal because if the leader is absent, the follower is trusted to accomplish all their goals. In my own experience due to my critical thinking skills, I don’t need a manager there to do a good job. There are times where I am working alone, and I come across a problem. Instead of panicking, I just figure out the fastest and most convenient solution until I am able to spend the time actually fixing it for good. As a Barista, I am able to look at a pile of drinks on a table and think critically to sort out in my head which drinks should be made together at once, which are going to be made by themselves, and the order I am going to assemble them. With that ability, I am able to make and hand out drinks faster and move more efficiently than if I were to just grab them one by one and make them in the same exact steps as I originally learned. This is because my manager gave me the tools to succeed such as training me on every aspect of the cafe while giving me different scenarios and making me think critically on how to solve them. However, one must already be actively engaged to have the motive to learn beyond their normal tasks and go the extra mile. This emphasizes the importance of a leader interactively teaching the skills and materials for their subordinates to succeed even when they aren’t there. But, also how with the right encouragement and leadership, you can develop your own independent followers into critical thinkers.
When looking at an exemplary follower from outside the lens of those two dimensions, they still are an overall desirable part of a team. These followers are able to think for themselves and are subject to even influence the leader by providing alternative solutions. They don’t always agree with their leader on everything, if they come across a situation that is congruent with their beliefs no matter what, they won’t support it. These followers will also actively seek out tasks and goals that will help support the organization without having to be asked (Novikov, 2016). They go the extra mile beyond their general responsibilities to make sure the job is always done to the best of their ability. This develops when a leader encourages you and gives you the tools to be a self-starter. My manager encourages me to be the best employee I can be, I show up to work and give 100% because she trusts me enough to know that I will get the job done and more. She gives me the autonomy to do what I believe is best for the organization and allows me to provide input on different aspects of the cafe such as our promotions. Sometimes our ideas don’t always align but that doesn’t matter when we have mutual respect where I value her opinion and she values mine. That is why I go to work and do even more than what is asked of me. This is the effect a good leader can have to help build an exemplary follower.
Resources
Costa, Barry. “Critical Thinking and Other Higher-Order Thinking Skills.” Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning, UCONN, 27 Jan. 2021, cetl.uconn.edu/resources/design-your-course/teaching-and-learning-techniques/critical-thinking-and-other-higher-order-thinking-skills/#:~:text=Overview:,be evaluative, creative and innovative.
Kelley, Robert. “In Praise of Followers.” Harvard Business Review, 1 Aug. 2014, hbr.org/1988/11/in-praise-of-followers.
Northouse, P.G. (2019). Leadership: Theory and Practice. Los Angeles: Sage Publications.
Novikov, Valentin. “Followership and Performance in Acquisition, Research and Development Organizations.” Emerging Leadership Journeys, Vol. 9 , no. 1, 2016, pp. 1–33., www.regent.edu/acad/global/publications/elj/vol9iss1/1ELJ-Novikov.pdf.
Reichard, Rebecca J., et al. “Engaging Followers at a Distance: Leadership Approaches That Work.” Exploring Distance in Leader-Follower Relationships, 2012, pp. 129–155., doi:10.4324/9780203120637-15.
Shrm. “Developing and Sustaining Employee Engagement.” SHRM, SHRM, 16 Aug. 2019, www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/tools-and-samples/toolkits/pages/sustainingemployeeengagement.aspx.