Importance Of Followership

Statement of the Issue In an organization, the majority of attention takes a leader-centric approach with little focus on followers because the importance of leading often take priority. People tend to hold leadership in high esteem while having a negative image of what followers are or what role they fill (Kellerman, 2007; Kelley, 1988). The two functions are vital for a team to function because there is no leader without a follower and vice versa. Individuals may also not realize that they often find themselves moving from role to role depending on the situation or circumstance (Bjugstad, Thach, Thompson & Morris, 2006). A more in-depth appreciation and understanding of followership are in order because an organization’s value comes from

This includes a review of the literature on followership focusing on past research, views of followership, and other findings of scholars (Currie, 2014; Oc & Bashsur, 2013; Tee et al., 2013; Kelley, 1988). Results are expected to shed light on the questions proposed along with discovering various trends, gaps, and weaknesses in the current body of knowledge. This may support existing theories and ideas or point to areas in need of more

Their strong qualities are often seen to be the same that effective leaders demonstrate. Followers must be able to manage themselves and know what to do when (Bjugstad et al., 2006; Currie, 2014; Kelley, 1988). Strong followers, as mentioned, complete and plan their work to meet deadlines while taking responsibility and accountability for their actions and behaviors. They also have a commitment to their teams and organizations with a purpose and goal beyond themselves. (Kelley, 1988; Bjugstad et al., 2006; Currie, 2014). A commitment often serves to encourage others, build positive morale, and increase loyalty among a group. A misconception may exist in the knowledge of followers as some view followers to have one role and fall under one type. Danielsson (2013) conducted a series of interviews and focus groups with the purpose of gathering views on followership from followers and found that there are many kinds of followers whose roles are made up of many unique parts. These findings support the idea that there are various follower types necessary to the organization and that each brings its own strengths to the