Followership paper

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harvard management update

A RT IC L E R E P R I N T NO. U 0 6 0 3 D

A Newsletter from Harvard Business School Publishing

Why Great Followers Make the Best Leaders

by Chris Musselwhite

For the exclusive use of J. Luo, 2020.

This document is authorized for use only by Jintao Luo in SFSU-MGT-648-Fall 2020 taught by Craig Nathanson, San Francisco State University from Aug 2020 to Dec 2020.

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For the exclusive use of J. Luo, 2020.

This document is authorized for use only by Jintao Luo in SFSU-MGT-648-Fall 2020 taught by Craig Nathanson, San Francisco State University from Aug 2020 to Dec 2020.

3Copyright © 2006 by Harvard Business School Publishing Corporation. All rights reserved.

W e are all followers. While we may prefer to focus on our roles as leaders

within our organizations, almost all of us have a role in “following” some- one else as well. The irony is that when we lose sight of this, we dimin- ish our leadership effectiveness.

Why? Simply put, the qualities of great followers share much in com- mon with those of great leaders.

With that in mind, it’s never a bad idea to brush up on your followership skills, no matter where on the org chart you sit. Here’s what to do:

1. Be honest But be sure you do it in a way that doesn’t embarrass or blame. Con- sider when to share your opinion in public and when to share it in private. Telling the truth in a manner that does not result in a loss of credibility for your boss is likely to increase your influence.

2. Be supportive Your job is to make your boss and your organization more successful. If your boss has missed something important, you should bring it to his attention or take care of it yourself— and do so discreetly, as stated above.

When you take the initiative to be supportive, you win your boss’s trust and boost your chances of gaining access to his inner circle. This, in turn, makes you more visible and more

valuable, and positions you for greater leadership responsibilities yourself.

3. Be reliable When people can count on you, you become an asset to them, the organi- zation, and to yourself—especially when it comes to handling duties

outside the confines of your job description. Doing what needs to be done instead of avoiding or ignoring it because it’s not your responsibility shows you understand and work toward the bigger picture—a key characteristic of effective leaders.

4. Always seek the big picture Working with the big picture firmly in focus not only will help others see you as a leader, but it will also help you be a better follower. When the boss’s actions or decisions appear unreasonable or inappropriate, remember that you may see only part of the picture that she sees. Instead of assuming your boss is wrong, seek

information that will help you put her actions into context. The better you understand the big picture, the better advocate you can be for the things that are important to you.

5. Ask good questions When you ask constructive ques- tions, you’re helping your boss slow down and reflect on decisions. The key here is to frame your questions thoughtfully. If you make it clear that you are not questioning your boss’s capabilities to make good decisions but, rather, your aim is to help him obtain the best possible outcome, your efforts will be appreciated and rewarded.

By employing this competency as a follower, you are acting as a leader. You are modeling for colleagues and direct reports one of the most effec- tive tools available to any leader: the ability to ask good questions.

6. Be aware of your own assumptions Being aware of how your own assumptions affect every situation is one of the most important traits of good followers and influential lead- ers. Instead of assuming you under- stand your boss’s motives, ask. You may find you are mistaken and learn something significant in the process.

Achieving awareness of your own assumptions or mental models can give you more personal power (and satis- faction) than any combination of the other traits discussed in this article. �

Chris Musselwhite is the author of Dangerous Opportunity: Making Change

Work (Xlibris Corp., 2004) and the CEO and founder of Discovery Learning Inc., based in

Greensboro, N.C. He can be reached at [email protected].

Essentials

Why Great Followers Make the Best Leaders

by Chris Musselwhite

The better you

understand the big

picture, the better

advocate you can be

for the things that are

important to you.

For the exclusive use of J. Luo, 2020.

This document is authorized for use only by Jintao Luo in SFSU-MGT-648-Fall 2020 taught by Craig Nathanson, San Francisco State University from Aug 2020 to Dec 2020.

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