Leader Follower Relationship

In order to be an effective leader you must first gain the trust of your subordinates. With trust comes respect and with respect comes loyalty. The same can be said for a follower. Respect, trust, and loyalty in some cases must be earned in order for it to be received. Relationships between leaders and followers will flourish when openness, candor, and a commitment to truth is established. Without these simple building blocks of trust, meaningful relationships cannot be formed. When a mutual respect is present; positive relationships will grow (Martin, 2015). From my own experience, hostile work environments can form when trust and respect are not present in the leader/follower relationship. Time that could be used towards becoming efficient

However, I feel that it takes a huge effort on both parts in order to maintain this relationship and make it work. There is a sacred contract within the leader/follower relationship to pursue a common purpose with common goals. Both the leader and the follower have to put forth an effort in order to honor this contract. So, why should one party be charged with more responsibility in creating trust than the other? Trust is something that both parties should strive to create and preserve (Chaleff,

This single act can be the basic building blocks of establishing trust and loyalty between leaders and followers. Though simple at first, establishing long term trust and loyalty is something that must grow with each passing day. Without trust and loyalty, leaders and followers can project the image of working against one another. In the absence of trust, professional relationships can erode to an unrepairable workplace conflict (Dyer, 2017). Some of these conflicts can become so burdensome and toxic that the only course of action is removing the problem and its contributing factors. For me, I would begin the building process of trust and loyalty with a simple introduction; humanizing myself to either my leader, or my followers. When people at least know something about you, then it is easier to come to common ground on simple conflicts that may arise. This also gives you the opportunity to share in similarities and hobbies, and start the process of being a friend and not just a