Preface to Second Edition

The publication of the first edition of The Courageous Follower generated the opportunity for dialogue with many people who share an interest in the dynamics of leader-follower relations. Most also share the view that followers play a crucial role ensuring leaders use their power effectively and do not squander or abuse it.

I have been thrilled to receive communication from people in all walks of organized life—law enforcement agencies, teachers, clergy, choral groups, corporate trainers, social activists, political offices, unions, associations and the military, to name a few—who have used the principles in this book. Some have done so to influence the culture of their organizations, others to resolve dilemmas they personally faced in the workplace.

Inevitably, in the course of this dialogue and the workshops I conduct on leader-follower dynamics, I have learned more about the subject than I knew when writing the book. This—and the troubling events of the beginning of this millennium that have rocked the largest corporations, government agencies, and established religions—led to the decision to update and revise the original edition. Those who may already be familiar with the book will find several important enhancements in this edition, including the following:

• Self-assessment. Each of us needs to recognize our preferred style of followership so we can understand the benefits and limits of that style. I have developed and added a model of followership styles that hundreds of participants in workshops have found useful in framing their own development needs and goals.

• Supporting leaders. While the first edition covered the topic of giving leaders vigorous support, I have found that this point must be made more robustly and have added a discussion on building relationships with leaders. In the face of leadership flaws, too many people assume cynical perspectives, rather than do the hard work of building relationships in which they can have more positive influence.

• Feedback two or more levels up. One of the most vexing problems I have observed for followers is the dilemma of how to effectively address an issue that their immediate superior cannot resolve without confronting the actions or policies of higher levels of leadership. A discussion has been added on how followers can influence their leader to deal with leadership issues one or two levels up in the organization.

• Moral action and whistleblowers. The first edition focused on issues surrounding leaving an organization with which a follower grew morally uncomfortable. The new edition broadens the discussion to review the range of moral actions that can be taken in addition to leaving. Recent disclosures of corporate malfeasance, the misconduct of clergy, and insufficient government response to security warnings have raised the general awareness of how high the stakes can be in these matters. The revised chapter explores the range of available moral actions to take before one must decide whether to go outside the organizational system and thereby become a whistleblower. If these early actions are effective, everyone benefits.

• Listening to courageous followers. Even the most courageous and effective follower can fail to save an organization from a leader who does not listen to unpalatable truths. The result is often personal failure for the leader and serious setbacks for the organization. This entirely new chapter goes beyond the model of courageous followership and speaks directly to the leader, to any higher levels of leadership that may exist, and to boards or oversight groups that share ultimate responsibility for an organization’s actions. It presents a range of strategies for improving the culture’s response to courage followership, any one of which can save an organization endless grief.

It is the nature of courageous followership that when it is most effective, we never hear of its actions. The organization and its leaders have been served, supported, corrected, transformed, or brought to a moral course of action in ways that do not call attention to the follower. I hope you will find many ideas for helping you to be quietly successful.

Ira Chaleff