Leadership that Empowers: How Strategic Planning Relates to Followership

In the article, “Leadership That Empowers: How Strategic Planning relates to Followership.” Brumm, & Drury, (2013), investigate the connection between leadership planning and its effect on followership. During the previous class much of the discussion centered on empowerment. It was clear that one of the attributes of a competent director is the ability to empower members. This article examined the outcome of strategic planning and its effects on followers.

According to Burns (1978) “Followers need leaders and leaders need followers” (as cited in

Brumm & Drury 2013, p.17). It concluded that followers felt empowered due to comprehensive planning. The study did not include other variables such as leadership styles. Brumm, C, explained that, he did not include management styles because that dealt with getting people to feel hyped up or emotionally connected to the task. Whereas planning gives followers a clear map to complete the task which was the type of empowerment he was referring to. (Personal communication, March 31, 2014)

It is difficult to look at strategic leadership and the ability to empower others from such a small viewpoint. Leadership has many dimensions and has to be analyzed from a broader perspective. For example; if an executive needed to build a bridge, and had the knowledge to build the bridge, would the he build it or would he empower others to build it? Leaders are not leaders if they are doing the work of followers. Leaders get the task done. The article suggests that good and detailed plans would be sufficient. I suggest that would be the work of an architect. But, a leader would go beyond the plans to get the bridge built.

Ultimately, this article examines leadership from a task manage...

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...e enhanced by such a leader. This may require additional research to confirm. Nevertheless, this study favors empowerment through strategic planning. But, I believe a charismatic leader would give so much more.

Works Cited

Brown, M. (2014). Seven Leadership Strategies that Improve Engagement. Leadership

Excellence, 31(3), 7.

Brumm, C. A., & Drury, S. (2013). Leadership that Empowers: How strategic planning relates to followership. Engineering Management Journal, 25(4), 17-32.

Kaufman, R., Oakley-Browne, H., Watkins R., & Leigh, D., (2013). Strategic planning for success: Aligning people, performance, and payoffs. San Francisco CA: Jossey-

Bass/Pfeiffer.

Leanne, S. (2010). Leadership the Barack Obama way : Lessons on teambuilding and creating a winning culture in challenging times. New York: McGraw-Hill.