Followership - Jason Wong’s Blog
There are many models of Followership out there that give us a handy way of understanding follower behaviors for our reports and for ourselves. One model I’m fond of is the Chaleff model which describes two axes: the degree of support a follower gives a leader and the degree to which the follower is willing to question or challenge the leader’s behavior or policies. These axes give rise to four distinct follower styles:
- Implementers
- Resources
- Individualists
- Partners
In a day-to-day leadership role, I use followership to keep me honest about embracing and rewarding strong partners. When words are spoken that I’d prefer not to hear, understanding followership helps me remember the positives of being challenged, and I would be well served to consider what is being said rather than dismiss it out of hand. It helps me avoid labeling people as troublemakers when they may, in fact, be influencing me in a better direction.
When my manager makes a decision, how am I undercutting or supporting them? What kind of follower does my manager need right now?
As a follower, it helps clarify my responsibility to speak out and show support when appropriate. As a leader, followership reminds me that when I hear disagreement, it’s an opportunity to take a beat, listen, and appreciate.
Posted on September 7, 2018