Category list

FOLLOWER STYLES

Implementer	Partner
Dependable	Purpose driven
Supportive	Mission oriented
Considerate	Risk taker
Advocat	eCultivates relationships
Defender	Holds self and others accountable
Team oriented	Confronts sensitive issues
Compliant	Focuses on strengths and growth
Respectful of authority	Peer relations with authority
Reinforces leader’s perspectives	Complements leader’s perspectives
Resource	Individualist
Present	Confrontational
Available	Forthright
Extra pair of hands	Self-assured
Brings specific skills	Independent thinker
Uncommitted	Reality checker
Primary interests lie elsewhere	Irreverent
Executes minimum requirements	Rebellious
Makes complaints to third parties	Self-marginalizing
Avoids the attention of authority	Unintimidated by authority

While these tendencies can be measured, you probably already have a sense of how you tend to operate , at least in relationship to the current leaders with whom you interact. As you read further, keep in mind this self-assessment and the direction in which you feel you would like to grow. You can then consider and test the ideas and suggestions you will encounter to help you do so.

ELICITING FEEDBACK

While self-assessment is important, finding out how others see us is equally vital . Courageous followers overcome their reticence to hear “criticism”; they learn to encourage honest feedback. Though we have experiences or images of “bosses” giving us streams of criticism about specific tasks , in fact many do not provide feedback on the more fundamental issues they may have with us. They find it too uncomfortable to do so. They, too, can lack courage in relationships, despite their positional superiority.

Courageous followers draw the leader out despite discomfort on either of their parts :

“Nobody does everything perfectly . What should I work on so I can do the job better?”

If we receive negative feedback, however tenuous, we should encourage it with statements like:

“That’s useful for me to know—can you tell me more about that?”

This emboldens the leader, who may be testing the water to see if we really do want to hear this. Once a spirit of open communication is established, a courageous follower probes further:

“Are you concerned about any other aspects of my performance, which may be even more fundamental?”

If we can remain interested and avoid becoming defensive, we can learn crucial things about ourselves and the leader. We should ask for clarification and examples until we are very clear about what change would be desirable.

If the feedback we receive is about an issue on which the leader or others have previously confronted us, hearing further feedback on the subject may raise our understanding of the need to address it, and strengthen our resolve to do so. By eliciting feedback we make sure that we, not others, hear about our perceived flaws and that we are in a strong position to consider what to do about them.

PERSONAL GROWTH

Self-assessment and feedback help us determine in what ways it would be desirable for us to change, to grow. Growth requires courage; it is a continuous process of exposing our vulnerable areas, areas where we have not developed mastery. Growth also requires exploring what the Jungians call our “dark” side. This is uncomfortable to do. Yet the courage to assume responsibility includes responsibility for the parts of us that we’d rather not have the world look at too closely. If we are to contain or transform our leader’s dark side, we had better become familiar with our own. We must learn to support our urge toward growth in its contest with the equally powerful urge to protect our self-image.

Personal growth often involves emotional struggle. We should be prepared for that struggle and not try to shut it down at the first signs of discomfort. The knowledge that we may feel worse before we feel better is important and enables us to stick with the lessons we need to learn. Supportive relationships or groups help us get through periods of emotional trial. Structured development programs, counseling , and mentor relationships all provide vehicles and support systems for internal growth.

We also need external growth opportunities. There is often ample room for growth within our current position if we assertively seek it. Working closely with a competent leader is itself a primary growth opportunity. At some point, however, it may be desirable to move away from the comfort of our current role to test ourselves in a new, unproven role. In an age when organizations no longer make lifelong commitments to employees , we must chart our own career growth.