1.5 Followers

We have described several differences between leading and managing, including the personal level on which leaders and managers connect with their followers or subordinates. We identified that a manager can be all business and is looking for results. Leaders, however, work with followers to reach a deeper personal level as a project progresses because they need to learn about the team members in terms of their personal strengths, weaknesses, and so on before they can influence the group’s direction. This key difference between leading and managing is crucial to understand because it demonstrates how effective a leader can be. Followers respond when the leader is personable and invests time in how the team is doing. Some followers may not be able to work well under the pressure of a manager who is strictly looking for results without regard to how the employee is handling the workload.

Based on this, we need to briefly describe how followers or subordinates react to leaders and managers. But first let’s define the difference between a follower and a subordinate.

A subordinate, or direct report, can be described as someone in a position of less power or authority than someone else; his or her primary work activities are controlled, directed, and evaluated by a leader or manager who is given authority over the subordinate. Organizations today often use the term associateConnotes a valued relationship between the led and a specific leader where the subordinate is empowered to perform specific organization activities., as it connotes a relationship that is valued between the led and a designated leader, where the subordinate is empowered to perform specific organization activities within the constraints established by the leader or manager.

A follower is someone who supports and is guided by another person. It can be an employeeA person employed by another for wages or salary and in a position below the executive level. who acknowledges the focal leader or manager who holds a legitimate power position in a company. The leader or manager then provides the guidance, direction, and purpose of an organization to a follower or a group of followers to accomplish a specified task or project. Followers in this instance are not considered subordinates or direct reports and may be volunteers who function in the absence of a formal dyadic authoritative leader-led relationship.

Key characteristics leaders and managers have to keep in mind about followers are listed in Table 1.3. Note that executive leaders consider these characteristics in the managers they hire, and managers consider the same characteristics for subordinates and followers.

Leaders are not content with things remaining the same and are constantly looking to innovate and improve things as organizational environments, followers, and subordinates change. Where managers rely on control and processes, leaders inspire trust and empower their team members. Leaders prefer to empower employees, including managers, with the knowledge and resources to execute actions on their own. Leaders encourage growth in individuals as well as in teams, often coaching or mentoring employees to look beyond their current positions to see how they hope to grow in their careers as well as within the organization. Ultimately, leaders encourage employees to set specific goals and help set the direction for goal attainment and identify what steps are necessary for them to attain them.