Followers, Communications and Leadership

Bratton, John; Francis, Helen

Abstract

CHAPTER INTRODUCTION
The models we consider in this chapter will advance your understanding of the leadership process by studying the active role of followers in co-creating the leadership relationship. The success or failure of an organization is often unfairly attributed to leaders, although followers may have been the true reason for success or failure. For example when a football or rugby team is winning or losing, the success or failure is often attributed unfairly to the line manager. However a talented team may have an abysmal season regardless of manager. Conversely a mediocre team may have a successful season regardless of the manager. In the workplace, followers are collaborators in the influence and change process and they can take action, either individually or collectively, to result in either positive or negative consequences for their leaders. Followership and how it is related to the leadership process are under-researched, but in the last decade their are indications that this is changing (Northouse , 2019)
This chapter provides a critical understanding of the different approaches to followers and their role within leadership as a process. Notable contributions are taken from the the field of organizational behaviour. Doing so is a somewhat messy task, for follower personality, motivation, perception and communication are characterised by a vast array of different and often conflicting theories. But by exploring some of these major theories, we hope to show you how the insights can help you understand better, the process of following and the leadership relationship.

Citation

Bratton, J., & Francis, H. (2020). Followers, Communications and Leadership. In J. Bratton (Ed.), Organizational Leadership (289-316). London: SAGE Publications

• Acceptance Date: Jul 9, 2019
• Online Publication Date: Jan 17, 2020
• Publication Date: 2020-02
• Deposit Date: Dec 17, 2020
• Publisher: SAGE Publications
• Pages: 289-316
• Book Title: Organizational Leadership
• Chapter Number: 13
• ISBN: 9781526460110
• Public URL: http://researchrepository.napier.ac.uk/Output/2709179
• Publisher URL: https://uk.sagepub.com/en-gb/eur/organizational-leadership/book262799