Pause and think about a time where you had to work as a part of a team. Whether this was on a sports team, a highschool club, an organization in college, or on a team at your place of work, I want to think about the leader of that organization. Maybe you were that leader, or maybe you were a ‘follower’ and had to listen to and engage with the leader of the team. For the purpose of this exercise, think about a time where you were not the leader. How did the leader of that group make you feel? Did you feel as though you were committed to the message the leader was preaching? Did you feel highly engaged or active in the leader’s goals? How you feel about these questions can categorize you into different types or categories of followers according to various different scientific typologies.
While there are many different followership typologies, the focus of this article will be on the Kelly Typology. The Kelly typology categorizes followers into five different categories (Northouse, 2021). These categories are determined by one’s Dependency/Critical thinking ability rating as well as one’s Passive/Active rating (Northouse, 2021). These can be seen in the following diagram
Then, once one scores themselves on the scale appropriately, each type of Follower is given their own definition. Passive followers, also referred to as “sheep” are those who look to their leader for direction (Northouse, 2021). Conformist followers, or “yes people” also look to their leader for direction, they are also very agreeable and always have their leaders back (Northouse, 2021). Alternatively, Alienated followers often think for themselves as opposed to following their leader, and will often come off as negative (Northouse, 2021). Similarly, exemplary followers have the ability to think for themselves, however they are much more positive and offer constructive criticism to their leader (Northouse, 2021). Last, but not least, the Pragmatist follower will do whatever it appears that the majority of the team is doing in an attempt to fit in (Northouse, 2021).
Now, you might be thinking, so what? Of course there are different kinds of people in a team, why does it matter? Well, if you have the opportunity to be in a leadership position, or you are trying to be the star follower in your group, you might want to consider having an understanding of how those around you feel about you and about the goal of the team/project. By understanding where your followers fall on the typology scale, you can adjust your leadership style to better fit their needs, or have solid evidence that your leadership style is effective and that you can continue operation. Understanding your team will increase productivity and the overall strength of the team (Indeed Editorial Team, n.d.). Your team might also appreciate that you are trying to take a step back and look at the dynamic of the group from their perspective. People often want to feel seen and heard, and this is just one of many ways in which you can make that happen. It is important to keep in mind that without followers, there are no leaders, so it should be a leader’s priority to put their followers first and have their best interests at heart.
Citations
Indeed Editorial Team. (n.d.). What is the importance of knowing your team? (with benefits). Indeed Career Guide. https://uk.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/knowing-your-team
Northouse, P. G. (2021a). Leadership: Theory and practice (Ninth Edition). SAGE Publications, Inc.
This was a great post Lexi. I appreciated the point you made in regards to leaders understanding where their followers fall on the typology scale, and adjusting their leadership style to better fit their needs or have proof that their leadership style is effective. I think that the different types of followers could either show short comings or enhance a leaders strengths Do you think that the types of followers in a group can have an effect on the leadership style? I know a lot of times it is thought that leaders are the ones who influence but while reading your blog it also made me consider the influence that followers can also have on the leaders and other group members.
This was a very interesting post you posted Lexi! Until this course I never really took the time to think about the different type of followers there are. Depending on the group setting that I am a part of I can probably labeled as every single one of these follower types according to the group members I am working with. Thinking back to my last group project I had to complete while in school I would probably mostly identify with being a conformist follower. I am very agreeable with my team when decisions need to be made mostly because I don’t want to come off as rude to anyone, and I don’t want anyone to feel like their toes are being stepped on. It is also important like you mentioned to be mindful of the type of group members you have. Being mindful of this will help things run smoother in the group settings, and it will also help to make sure everyone knows they are allowed to have a say in the decision making process.