From Supportive Roles to Strategic Partners: How The Followership Function Drives Business Excellence in Leadership

In the world of business leadership, much attention is rightfully given to the qualities and actions of leaders themselves. After all, they are the driving force behind an organization's vision and strategy. However, what often goes overlooked is the vital and critically important role of the "Followership Function" in achieving compelling and effective business leadership. Followership is not just a supporting act, but a cornerstone of successful leadership.

Complementary to Leadership

Effective followers play a crucial role in successful operations by bringing their unique strengths to the organizational mix, complementing and enhancing conventional leadership. This synergy between leaders and followers is essential for achieving organizational goals and fostering a thriving and successful operation (Currie & Ryan, 2014). Followers are not merely passive participants but active contributors who can bridge the gaps in leadership capabilities.

Co-Production of Leadership

The concept of followership challenges the traditional hierarchy by viewing leadership as a co-produced phenomenon. It acknowledges that both leaders and followers are integral to the leadership process. Recognizing and developing active followership can lead to improved innovation and efficiency in organizations, as it encourages a balanced approach where the contributions of both leaders and followers are valued (Bufalino, 2018). It’s not a one-way street but a dynamic partnership.

Impact on Leadership Decision Making

It is important to recognize that certain personality traits in followers can significantly influence a leader’s decision-making process. This mutual characteristic of leader-follower relations emphasizes the importance of followers in shaping leadership outcomes and highlights the need for active participation from followers in changing business dynamics (Abbas, 2018). In other words, the input of followers can steer the course of leadership decisions towards more informed and effective choices.

Organizational Success and Performance

Extensive research demonstrates that both supply chain leadership and followership positively impact organizational performance. This relationship occurs indirectly through shared values and common goals, underscoring the integral role of followership in achieving high performance and aligning with organizational values (Fontoura & Coelho, 2020). It's clear that followership is not just a passive acceptance of leadership but an active driver of success.

Followership in Leadership Development

The concept of followership is increasingly recognized as a key element in leadership development programs. This recognition suggests that understanding and cultivating effective followership is crucial for nurturing leadership capabilities and ensuring organizational resilience and adaptability (Neal, Boutselis, & Bennett, 2015). Leaders can only reach their full potential when they have a team of dedicated and skilled followers.

Followership is critically important for effective business leadership because it complements leadership, contributes to the co-production of leadership, impacts leadership decision-making, is crucial for organizational success and performance, and plays a significant role in leadership development. Effective followership ensures that organizations can thrive & flourish, innovate, and achieve their goals through a balanced and dynamic leader-follower relationship.

In a world that often glorifies leadership in isolation, let us not forget that it is the harmonious blend of leadership and followership that truly propels businesses towards greatness. Leaders who choose to recognize the pivotal role followers play also cultivate a culture that values and nurtures effective followership as an essential component of their leadership journey. After all, it's not just about leading but also about fostering a team that follows with dedication, purpose, and innovation.

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