Followership paper

Authentic Followership

Being a More Effective Leader

E x c e r p t e d f r o m

Why Should Anyone Be Led by You?

What It Takes to Be an Authentic Leader

B y

Rob Goffee, Gareth Jones

Harvard Business School Press Boston, Massachusetts

ISBN-13: 978-1-4221-2172-6

2172BC

H A R V A R D

B U S I N E S S

S C H O O L

P R E S S

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This chapter was originally published as chapter 8 of Why Should Anyone Be Led by You? What It Takes to Be an Authentic Leader,

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E I G H T

Authentic Followership

FO L L O W E R S A R E T H E O T H E R S I D E of the leadershipequation. Without them, there is no relationship and no leadership. If leadership is a dynamic relationship, and the

appropriate balance of closeness and distance keeps changing to fit

new circumstances, it is logical that followers, too, live in the same

dynamic relationship, but see things from a different perspective.

If the leaders get the balance right, followers feel comfortable.

They are glad to be close to their leader; they feel that their indi-

viduality is recognized and that they are part of a team. The leader

has shown enough of himself that the followers know he is not per-

fect, and that has two results. First, it gives them permission to be

less than perfect as well. Second, it tells them that the leader needs

the contribution they can make to the team.

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At the same time, the leader’s distance shows the follower that

this person is not afraid to make tough decisions and be unpopular.

Among the many leaders we have met and interviewed is Brigadier

Pat Lawless. On graduating from the Rhodesian Army’s officer

training school, he chose to lead one of the most important black

regiments in the country’s civil war. He told us that when he first

took up his post, he was heavily reliant on his black second in com-

mand. On his first visit to the sergeants’ mess, he told Lawless in no

uncertain terms that to be an effective leader, he should not

expect—or even seek—to be universally popular. Sure, he wanted

most people to like him, but what mattered was that even those

who didn’t like him had to respect him. For Lawless, and for us, it

was an important lesson in leadership. The leader must always be

seen as serving the organization’s higher purpose or goal, not swayed

by personal considerations.

There are pitfalls for followers, too. As with leaders, they must

understand the limits to closeness and the difference between

closeness and friendship. They must sense that when the leader

adds distance, he or she is acting in service to the organization’s

cause rather than turning on them. Without that understanding,

followers are apt to feel too special and star-struck when the bal-

ance shifts toward closeness, or betrayed and resentful when the

leader shows distance. Remember, however close the leader gets,

this is a person who might one day have to fire you.

A leader who abuses either distance or closeness will be seen

as devious and manipulative. Followers in that case need no advice.

They will shut down emotionally to minimize the damage to them,

and they will probably start looking for other jobs. In the long run,

that kind of bad leadership tends to be self-correcting. The sort of

cynical, indifferent employees they foster are unlikely to do good

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work. Sooner or later, the leader will be held accountable and

replaced. Unfortunately, this can take a long time—and a great deal

of damage can be done to the organization in the interim.

When the leader does get the balance right, however, it is a

positive situation for everyone. Both leader and followers have the

heady feeling of working as a well-honed team for the organiza-

tion’s overriding cause or goal. Since people who feel that way are

more likely to succeed, that’s good for the organization, its cus-

tomers and partners, and its investors. And that’s both the reward

and the definition of good leadership.

What Do Followers Want?

So, put yourself in the role of follower and ask, What do you

expect of a leader?

Surprisingly, perhaps, researchers seldom ask the question ex-

plicitly. We have libraries full of leadership studies, but the analysis

of followership has barely begun.1 Yet it is difficult to operate effec-

tively as a leader without some sense of what followers want or need.

In chapters 4 and 5, we argued that effective leaders are sensi-

tive to context—including the requirements of their followers—

and are able flex their style accordingly. But is it possible to gener-

alize about what followers want? In the course of our work, we have

asked many followers, and their replies included many different

things. But we still conclude that their responses are patterned and

can be described under four broad headings. The four elements fol-

lowers want from leaders are authenticity, significance, excite-

ment, and community.

Further, despite the paucity of dedicated followership re-

search, there is a large body of organizational analysis that, when

Authentic Followership 3

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unpacked, supports our observations. This is the ever-expanding

research on motivation, team behavior, and communication. What’s

more, our personal experience of working firsthand with leaders is

that the best of them intuitively grasp these universal principles

and act on them.

Authenticity

First, and above all, followers demand authenticity. We

want our leaders to show us who they are—to reveal some of their

real human differences. Leaders who lack this authenticity have a

fatal flaw. So, even though it is a struggle to define it, we know inau-

thenticity when we see it.

Every follower will answer the question “Why should I be led by

you?” by considering what’s different about you (that might be

attractive to me as a follower)? Your skill at displaying these per-

sonal differences represents the foundation for your leadership.

The best examples of leaders in this book excel in their followers’

eyes by being themselves. They know themselves and show them-

selves—skillfully.

As we noted, carefully communicating “who you are” often

relies upon choosing the channels that work for you. Think back to

Thomas Sattelberger’s careful staging of his town meetings or

Simon Gulliford’s road shows.

So now ask yourself, Are you clear about the differences that

work for you in a leadership context? Do you communicate these

skillfully to others? Do they know something of who you are and

where you come from?

Significance

Second, followers need to feel significant. In simple terms,

they need recognition for their contribution. Social psychologists

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have made repeated pronouncements on this profound human

need for recognition. So it is remarkable how often as individuals

we seem to want it but not give it. The result is a recognition

deficit. Why is this? There are many explanations. Some executives

just seem to be too busy. It simply doesn’t come high enough in

their day-to-day priorities. They mistake activity for effectiveness.2

These are the people who save up their recognition—good and

bad—for the annual appraisal.

Others seem temperamentally unsuited to giving the kind of

personalized feedback that is essential to skillful recognition. Don’t

forget the disproportionate number of introverts who find their way

into leadership roles at the top of hierarchies. Of course, introverts

can make others feel important—but it tends to take a lot more effort.

In yet other cases, the problems appear to be cultural. The British,

for example, are often uncomfortable both giving and receiving praise.

There are also some particularly aggressive corporate cultures

where the imperative is to “just do it.” Recognition is for wimps.

All our experience is that effective leaders find ways to break

through these barriers. Martin Sorrell may be a tough, finance-

driven leader, but it does not prevent him from taking the time

to carefully, swiftly, and personally respond to e-mails from col-

leagues around the world. Greg Dyke openly praised the contribu-

tions of individuals all over the reserved and very “British” BBC

within days of taking up his post. Think also of John Latham finding

time to write the note to his harassed colleague at the end of a dif-

ficult day in the classroom: “You are marvelous.”

During his long tenure as CEO and chairman of GE, Jack Welch

was well known for his handwritten notes. He might thank a col-

league for a job well done, or simply encourage them to greater

efforts. But the point is that despite his colossal workload, Welch

made the time to jot down a few well-chosen words of recognition.

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He knew how important it was. The great thing about a handwrit-

ten note, of course, is that it is both highly personalized and lasting.

A colleague of ours was recently visiting an eminent Japanese busi-

ness consultant and thinker in Tokyo and noticed he had a note

from Welch framed on his wall. Many GE employees have similar

testaments to their leader’s recognition.

Or think of Thomas Sattelberger’s careful use of his eyes to

ensure that everyone at his meetings felt he was looking at them.

Finally, remember Pete Goss’s aim to make all his crew members

feel that the voyage could not have been completed without their

personal involvement. As you consider these cases, ask yourself

these questions: Do you pay the same kind of attention to those

that you wish to lead? Do you make them feel that what they are

trying to achieve is important, and that they themselves have a

vital role to play?

Excitement

Third, followers need a sense of excitement. At root, leader-

ship involves exciting others to higher levels of effort and perform-

ance. It is more than simply getting things done or carrying on

doing today what we did yesterday. How do leaders lift people in

this way? How do they communicate this excitement? Partly it is

through using their personal differences. Partly it is through the

movement from personal closeness to distance and the sense of

edge that this often creates. Some of the most effective leaders we

have seen retain a rather enigmatic quality as a result of their man-

agement of social distance. This, in turn, can make them a little

mysterious and, yes, exciting.

But beyond this, leaders are often able to excite others through

their passionate commitment to clearly articulated personal values

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and to a vision. This is a well-worked theme in the leadership lit-

erature. Business leaders such as Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Jack

Welch, and Anita Roddick seem able to infect others with their pas-

sions, whatever they may be. Effective leaders produce electrifying

moments.

Sometimes when we have finished leadership development

workshops, we ask participants two questions that often produce

perplexed looks. First, do you excite people to higher performance

every day that you are at work? Second, how will people feel when

you return to your workplace after this workshop? Will they say,

“Great, she’s back, brimming with new thoughts,” or will they be

worrying about just what you will be complaining about this time?

Are you a source of energy in your organization? Or a drain? Asking

these questions can produce interesting and sometimes disturbing

insights.

Community

Fourth, followers want to feel part of a community. Human

beings are hardwired for sociability—and desire solidarity. They

have a deep-rooted desire to belong, to feel part of something big-

ger, to relate to others—not just the leader. The nature of the

wider community varies. Some are intense and all-encompassing,

others more diverse and fragmented, as we outlined in chapter 5.

But however it is expressed, there is a basic desire to relate that

effective leaders tap into. Remember David Gardner’s celebratory

trip, taking the entire European EA workforce to the French holi-

day resort?

Or think of head teacher John Latham’s personal crusade

against litter, a graphic reminder of the rights and responsibilities

of all school community members. Finally, consider Paul McDermott’s

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long-term loyalty to the troubled community that he has served for

almost twenty years.

So ask yourself, Do you engender a sense of belonging? Are you

a community builder? Do you help people to connect—to each

other and to the overarching purpose of the organization?

When individuals communicate their own authenticity and

generate a sense of significance, excitement, and community to

others, they are getting the basics of the leadership relationship

right. They are helping their followers to answer constructively

these fundamental questions: Why are we here? What is our pur-

pose? What can we achieve together? Why are you the leader?

What Makes a Follower?

If these four elements are what followers expect of their lead-

ers, what, in turn, should leaders expect of followers? What is it

that makes a good follower? And how can followers contribute to

the creation of effective and authentic leadership? Ultimately,

these are questions for all of us since although some may become

leaders, we are all followers.

What makes these questions pressing is the persisting evidence

that followers are often able to “lead” leaders astray. In the early

1960s, for example, President Kennedy escalated the U.S. inter-

vention in Vietnam on the basis of, at best, questionable intelli-

gence and advice from colleagues. Some forty years later, Prime

Minister Tony Blair’s support for the Iraq invasion appeared to be

on the basis of similarly fallible inputs from advisers. In a business

context, remember also how Ken Lay, the Enron chairman, blamed

unscrupulous subordinates for his company’s dramatic fall from

grace. In each of these cases, detractors will argue that the leaders

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heard what they wanted to hear. But like leading, following is a

two-way street.

Research by Lynn Offerman shows that leaders may fall victim

to followers in a number of different ways.3 First, there are follow-

ers who impose a version of majority rule. Classically, for example,

technology-led companies—dominated by technologists—often

develop products that appeal greatly to their technical colleagues

but mean very little to end consumers. At different times, IBM,

Apple, and Dell, for instance, have all experienced large-scale fail-

ures at least partially explained by leaders unable to resist the

unerring logic of the collective ranks of their technical specialists.

Second, there are circumstances where leaders may be fooled

by a subtler manipulation: flattery. We like those who like us. But

leaders—especially those with narcissistic tendencies—are prone

to swallowing wholesale the adulation of others and to developing

an exaggerated sense of self-worth. This is one way of explaining

how senior executives, sometimes with exemplary leadership track

records, may damage their hard-won reputations by accepting lavish

compensation or retirement deals toward the end of their careers.

In each of these cases, followers may play an active—although

not always conscious or intentional—part in the derailment of lead-

ers. But clearly, there are also circumstances where potential fol-

lowers are simply disengaged or alienated from aspiring leaders

and their organizations. In many respects, this detachment may be

the most worrying symptom of modern organizational life. Just as

bureaucratic roles squeeze out the lifeblood of leadership, so too

they create disengaged subordinates rather than actively engaged

followers.

Throughout this book, we have argued that effective leaders

are able to excite and engage followers. But we have also maintained

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that leadership is a (nonhierarchical) relationship. Subordinates

may not decide who their bosses are, but it is the followers who

ultimately decide who the leaders are. By definition, then, “good

followers” are actively engaged. They are volunteers, not con-

scripts—and, not surprisingly, they share some of the characteris-

tics of good leaders. In a modern organization, many leaders must

at times occupy followers’ positions. Indeed, Aristotle once noted

that all great leaders must first learn to follow. So what makes a

good follower?

First, they are prepared to speak up—even if this involves

significant personal risks. Good followers will tell leaders what they

see as the truth—whether they want to hear it or not. Warren Bennis

quotes the legendary movie mogul Sam Goldwyn, who, following a

series of box office disasters, brought his staff together and told

them, “I want you to tell me exactly what’s wrong with me and

MGM, even if it means losing your job.”4

What is it that motivates followers to endure these risks? Ulti-

mately—as with leaders—it has to do with the fact that they too

share some commitment to an overarching purpose. At their best,

conscientious followers will try to remind leaders “why we are

here.” They care enough about the organization, its mission, and

their own linked ambitions to be able to voice concerns and criti-

cisms. In extreme cases, and as a last resort, this takes the form of

whistle blowing. But it is much healthier when followers who are

prepared to confront their leaders are listened to and addressed.

Of course, not all followers will voice the same concerns.

Indeed, if good leaders look for diversity and constructive dissent,

we should expect those who speak up to be different. Remember

Peter Brabeck’s remark that half his colleagues felt things were

changing too fast; the other half felt the pace was too slow? The job

10 W H Y S H O U L D A N Y O N E B E L E D B Y Y O U ?

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of the leader is typically to hear these different voices and to then

search for a common focus or set of interests that can form the

basis of their leadership.

Second, followers are prepared to complement the leader.

They develop a sense of what is required of them in different situa-

tions. They recognize the importance of smooth interpersonal

skills in what we termed networked cultures, for example. By con-

trast, they will appreciate that mercenary cultures place a higher

premium on disciplined, swift action. They understand the impor-

tance of freedom, autonomy, and only limited interaction in frag-

mented cultures. But those in tightly knit communal cultures

actively seek out the intense, collective interactions that typically

hold such organizations together.

Within the team, they will provide a counterweight. We pointed

earlier to the apparently intuitive ability of some leaders to achieve

balance. This starts typically with an awareness of their own

strengths and shortcomings—and an ability to spot those who can

help them. But good followers will often repay the compliment—

knowing well what the leader can and cannot do, understanding

weaknesses and reacting accordingly. You will often see this kind of

teamwork in business in the relationship between an effective

chairman and chief executive; or in sports, between manager and

coach. Like the best leaders, good followers understand what they

do best and when. They are able to be themselves—more.

Third, followers have a skillful appreciation of change and

timing. They understand that leaders must conform—up to a

point. Without this, leaders are unlikely to find points of connection

or common cause with those they would like as followers. But once

followers see evidence of both competence and conformity—that

leaders can do what they say and are loyal—they are likely to grant

Authentic Followership 11

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leaders scope for innovation and change. E. P. Hollander calls this

“idiosyncrasy credit.”5

Political leaders with narrow majorities often build up such

credits, as President Clinton did to win support for his programs

during his first administration. Similarly, Tony Blair was granted

opportunities to create “new” Labour once party members were

convinced of his abilities to protect at least some of the crown jew-

els of “old” Labour (social welfare, the National Health Service, and

so on). In each case, apparently reluctant followers are more party

to the change process than is often acknowledged.

But just as followers can sanction change as well as continuity,

they are also able to tolerate leaders shifting between social close-

ness and distance. They do not confuse leaders with their best

friends. Rather, they recognize the moment when separation, if

only temporary, is necessary and even inevitable to achieve the

shared purpose.

Skillful followership, then, inevitably involves acceptance of

some degree of ambiguity and uncertainty. This runs against popu-

lar wisdom, which holds that followers look to leaders to provide

security particularly during times of uncertainty. Followers who

expect the leader to have all the answers are naïve—and such

expectations do their leaders no favors. The point, in an increas-

ingly fast-changing and complex world, is to help leaders to learn.

Followers should encourage a process of mutual exploration as

both parties cope with changing contexts and demands.

In the process, some followers may become leaders. The

reverse will certainly apply: there are always places where leaders

will need to follow. Ultimately, the followers’ duty is to resist blind

obedience and to know when to withdraw support from the failing

leader. This can be a fine line. Leadership, as we have said through-

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out, inevitably entails personal risk. Sometimes things go wrong.

When they do, it is often, but not always, because leaders are de-

railed by a fatal flaw.

There are other times, however, when leaders fail for other rea-

sons. For example, they may fall foul of external events or internal

politics over which they have no control. The fact is that leadership

is a risky occupation. There are no guarantees of success, no magic

formulas. But we also believe that whatever the price of leadership, the

prize is worth it. This is the issue we explore in the final chapter.

Authentic Followership 13

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Chapter Eight

1. Loren Gary, “Neoteny: How Leaders Recruit the Right Kind of Followers,”

Harvard Management Update, September 2002; Robert E. Kelley, The Power of

Followership (New York: Doubleday Currency, 1992).

2. Heike Bruch and Sumantra Ghoshal, “Managing Is the Art of Doing and

Getting Done,” Business Strategy Review, Autumn 2004.

3. Lynn Offerman, “When Followers Become Toxic,” Harvard Business Re-

view, January 2004.

4. Warren Bennis, An Invented Life: Reflections on Leadership and

Change (Boulder, CO: Perseus Books, 1994).

5. E. P. Hollander, “Conformity, Status and Idiosyncrasy Credit,” Psychologi-

cal Review 65 (1958); and Leaders, Groups, and Influence (Oxford: Oxford Uni-

versity Press, 1964).

N O T E S

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