Sage Journals: Discover world-class research

Abstract

Using a three-page questionnaire administered to a sample of 302 senior-level executives, this study examined the perceptions of executives on the distinguishing characteristics of effective leaders and followers. Most of the characteristics associated with effective leaders were perceived to be different from those associated with effective followers. A significant number of the respondents agreed that (a) leadership and followership are interrelated roles; (b) leadership and followership skills have to be learned; (c) effective leaders and effective followers can influence work performance, quality of work output, satisfaction and morale, and cohesiveness of work groups; and (d) researchers have not devoted enough attention to the study of followership.

Keywords

leadership followership characteristics attributes

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Alcorn, D.S. ( 1992). Dynamic followership empowerment at work. Management Quarterly, 33, 9-13.

Avolio, B.J. , & Bass, B.M. ( 1988). Transformational leadership, charisma and beyond. In J. G. Hunt , H. R. Baliga , H. P. Dachler , & C. A. Schriesheim (Eds.), Emerging leadership vistas (pp. 29-49), Lexington, MA: Heath.

Blackshear, P.B. ( 2003). The followership continuum: A model for the tuning in the workforce. Public Manager, 32(2), 25.

Brown, A.D. , & Thornborrow, W.T. (1996). Do organizations get the followers they deserve? Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 17, 5-11.

Chaleff, I. ( 1995). The courageous follower. San Francisco : Berrett-Koehler.

Dvir, T. , & Shamir, B. ( 2003). Follower developmental characteristics as predicting transformational leadership: A longitudinal field study. Leadership Quarterly, 14, 327-344.

Ehrhart, M.G. , & Klein, K.J. ( 2001). Predicting followers’ preferences for charismatic leadership: the influence of follower values and personality. Leadership Quarterly, 12, 153-180.

Hollander, E.P. ( 1993). Legitimacy, power, and influence: A perspective on relational features of leadership. In M. M. Chemers & R. Ayman (Eds.), Leadership theory and research: Perspective and directions (pp. 29-47). San Diego, CA : Academic Press.

House, R.J. , & Shamir, B. ( 1993). The integration of transformational, charismatic, and visionary theories. In M. M. Chemers & R. Ayman (Eds.), Leadership theory and research: Perspectives and directions (pp. 81-107). San Diego, CA : Academic Press.

10.

Kelley, R.E. ( 1988). In praise of followers. Harvard Business Review, 66, 142-148.

11.

Kelley, R.E. ( 1992). The powerof followership. New York : Doubleday.

12.

Kouzes, J.M. , & Posner, B.Z. ( 1990). The leadership challenge: How to get extraordinary things done in organizations. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

13.

Lee, C. ( 1991). Followership: The essence of leadership. In W. E. Rosenbach , & R. L. Taylor (Eds.), Contemporary issues in leadership (pp. 113-121). Boulder, CO: Westview.

14.

Lord, R.G. , Brown, D.J. , & Freiberg, S.J. (1999). Understanding the dynamics of leadership: The role of follower self-concept in the leader/follower relationship . Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 75, 167-203.

15.

Moore, L.I. ( 1976). The FMI: Dimensions of follower maturity. Group and Organizational Studies, 1, 203-233.

16.

Murphy, D. ( 1990). Followers for a new era. Nursing Management,t , 2(7), 68-69.

17.

Yukl, G.A. ( 1998). Leadership in organizations (4th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Perspectives of Senior-Level Executives on Effective Followership and Leadership

Abstract

Keywords

Get full access to this article

References