The field of leadership is one in which a significant amount of research had been and as a matter of fact continues to be done (Gilstrap & Morris, 2015). Thus, it is generally seen that every year numerous books are been published whose lacuna is leadership. The cannon of leadership has seen significant amount of research since the traditional times and the works of Daniel Goleman and others have significantly widened the genre (Byza et al., 2018). However, it is surprising to note that the almost of all these literary works have their fulcrum the concept or the process of leadership and the qualities which a leader is supposed to have, leadership theories, how a leader can enhance the performance of his or her followers and so on (Stiglitz, 2015). It is significant to note that none of these literary works mention a thing about the followers who also are very important (Stiglitz, 2015). Barbara Kellerman’s book “Followership: How Followers Are Creating Change and Changing Leaders” published in the year 2008 is one of the very few literary works and perhaps the only one which takes into consideration the followers who are associated with a particular leader rather than focusing on the leader unlike the other pieces of literature on the same concept (Kellerman, 2008). This paper will try to undertake a detailed analysis of this literary work by taking into consideration the viewpoint of the author, her purpose, conclusion drawn by her, convergence and divergence, relevance, utilization and others.
Barbara Kellerman unlike the other traditional writers who have tried to explore the concept of leadership focuses on the followers who are associated with a particular leader. In this regard, the work can also be seen as a revolutionary one which tries to change the attitude of the people towards the followers associated with a particular leader. The author is of the opinion that the followers who are associated with a particular leader are as important as the leader himself or herself and thus they should be given equal amount of importance or significance. Thus, at the very beginning of the work she states that “to fixate on leaders at the expense of followers is to do so at our peril” (Kellerman, 2008). Furthermore, she categorizes the entire group of followers who are associated with a particular leader into five different categories, namely, the isolates, bystanders, participants, activists and diehards depending on the level of their engagement with the actions of the concerned leader or his or her actions as well as decisions. In this particular work, the author instead on dwelling on the factors which affects the nature of relationship which a particular leader shares with his or her followers or the manner in which a leader can improve the relationship which he or she has with the followers just focuses on segregating the different kinds of followers. She even goes to the extent of drawing examples from the historical contexts like Nazism and others to drive home the point which is making in the book. The author furthermore argues that “over time, followers have played increasingly vital roles” but they have never receive the kind of appreciation or the credit which is due to them (Kellerman, 2008). Furthermore, she is also of the opinion that the followers are imbued with the role of carrying out the plans or the decisions made by the leaders and thus the role played by them is as vital as the leaders.
The primary purpose of the author in this particular work seems to be to change the status quo of the concept of leadership and at the same time to bring about a change in the meaning as well as the importance which is generally attached to the followers. As already mentioned the entire cannon of literature on the concept of leadership focuses primary on the roles as well as attributes and the duties which he or she needs to perform and not a single one of them focuses or devotes even the faintest amount of significance to the role and the attributes of the followers. Thus, in the starting pages of the work she states that “Followers are subordinates who have less power, authority, and influence than do their superiors and who therefore usually, but not invariably, fall into line” (Kellerman, 2008). The author is of the opinion that this is one of the primary reasons why none of the earlier written works on the concept of leadership devotes even the faintest amount of attention to these followers. To the author of the literary work under discussion here the role played by the followers associated with a particular leader is as important as the leader and thus they should be given the kind of importance which is due to them. Thus, it would be apt to say that it is this particular attitude of the people that the author Barbara Kellerman wishes to change through the work “Followership: How Followers Are Creating Change and Changing Leaders”.
The main point which Barbara Kellerman is trying to drive home in her work ““Followership: How Followers Are Creating Change and Changing Leaders” is to provide equal amount of importance to the followers who are associated with a particular leader just like the kind of attention as well as importance which the leader of the group or the organization gets. Thus the main contention of the author in the work under discussion can be said to be fact that the followers since the traditional have been kept under the shadow of the leaders although it is they who do the most important thing, namely, executing the plans as well as the strategies formulated by the leader. The followers are not only required to execute the strategies as well as the plans formulated by the leaders but they are at the same time required to ensure that the plan is successfully implemented or carried out. Thus, the author states that the followers associated with a particular should be getting equal amount of significance as well as importance which the leader gets and the followers since the traditional times do not get.
Author’s Conclusions
The primary conclusion which the author makes in the book “Followership: How Followers Are Creating Change and Changing Leaders” is the fact that the followers who are associated with a particular leader are as important as the leader himself or herself and therefore they should be given equal amount of significance or importance. Furthermore, she also states that the traditional conception of followers as the ones who blindly follow the leaders is not a complete picture. She states that it is true that it is one of the major characteristic of the followers to follow the leader as well as to execute the plans or the strategies made by the leaders but at the same time she segregates the entire group of followers into different categories as well depending on the level of engagement with the concerned leader. Thus, she comes to the conclusion that it is not necessary that all the followers blindly follow the plans or the strategies made by the leaders with whom they are associated. There are various kinds of followers who not only question the decisions made by the leaders but at the same time refuse to obey them as well. Finally, the author states that it is time that the followers get the kind of appreciation as well as significance which is their due.
The “Servant Leadership Theory” states that the relationship of a leader with his or her followers is just like the relationship which a master shares with the servants (Northouse, 2018). Thus, the followers are required to obey all the plans, strategies as well as the decisions made by the leaders in a sacrosanct manner irrespective of ethical or other considerations (Northouse, 2018). However, the work states that there are various kinds of followers like the activists, isolates and others who refuse to do so. Thus, it can be said that the work in this particular regard diverges from the “Servant Leadership Theory”. The “Transformational Leadership Theory”, on the other hand, believes in leading by example and also motivating the followers associated with the leader in an effective manner so that they perform in the best possible manner (Haran, 2015). The work converges with this particular theory since to some extent it gives a certain amount of significance to the followers and throughout the work the author argues for the same. The “Transactional Leadership Theory” believes in the attainment of compliance through both reward as well as punishment (Gilstrap & Morris, 2015). The work under discussion here is in compliance with this particular theory since it emphasizes the role played by the followers and thus in a manner gives a certain amount of significance to the followers.
The work under discussion here is totally relevant in the present day context of the world since it gives importance not just to the role played by the leaders but also attaches significance to the role played by the followers as well. One of the major arguments raised by the author in the book is the fact that since the traditional times it is the leaders who have been the fulcrum of discussion all the works and none of these works attaches any amount of significance to the role of the followers. In the present day, the concepts of equality, liberty and others form an important part of the society and thus it is time that the world as well as the experts takes into consideration the role played by the followers as well. Therefore, it would be apt to say that the work and the arguments raised by the author are totally relevant in the context of the present day world.
The arguments raised by the author in the work can be utilized in various ways. For example, if ever I have the opportunity of leading I would certainly ensure to give the respect as well as significance to the followers who would be a part of the team which I would be leading. Furthermore, the various organizations can also take a leaf out of the book of Barbara Kellerman and give the followers or the employees who are associated with their organization the respect as well as importance which are their due.
Conclusion
To conclude, the followers associated with the leaders have since the traditional times have being marginalized and as a result they have not got the kind of appreciation or respect which is their due. The followers as a matter do the kind of things which are as important as the role of the leader and therefore they should be given equal amount of importance as well as respect. The author Barbara Kellerman in her book “Followership: How Followers Are Creating Change and Changing Leaders” attempts to do the same.
References
Byza, O. A., Dörr, S. L., Schuh, S. C., & Maier, G. W. (2018). When leaders and followers match: The impact of objective value congruence, value extremity, and empowerment. Journal of Business Ethics.
Gilstrap, C. A., & Morris, A. (2015). Role fluidity and emergent followership: How nonprofit leaders communicate their relationship as/to followers. The Journal of Nonprofit Education and Leadership, 5(3).
Haran, F. (2015). Leaders and Followers. Journal of Intercultural Communication, (37).
Kellerman, B. (2008). Followership: How followers are creating change and changing leaders. Boston: Harvard Business School Press.
Northouse, P. G. (2018). Leadership: Theory and practice. Sage publications.
Stiglitz, J. E. (2015). Leaders and followers: Perspectives on the Nordic model and the economics of innovation. Journal of Public Economics, 127, 3-16.
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