Follower-Centered Perspectives on Leadership

What?

I have really struggled with Boas Shamir’s notions of Follower-Centered Perspectives on Leadership as described in Brad Jackson and Ken Parry’s book, A Very Short, Fairly Interesting and Reasonably Cheap Book about Studying Leadership. As an Army officer, who’s been a platoon leader and company commander, I have struggled with the idea that followers essentially mold leaders and their leadership. This short video briefly and humorously lays out the perspectives.

The U.S. Army is in the business of leadership. Leaders at all levels are expected to lead their units successfully no matter the conditions. We are taught that success or failure of the mission lies with the leader and his or her ability to motivate their unit to success. I honestly can not recall having a discussion of follower-centered perspectives on leadership.

So What?

 

I particularly like the ‘follower as leaders: shared leadership’ perspective. This perspective involves the concept of ‘co-leadership’. Jackson and Parry’s book says, “the notion of ‘co-leadership’, which recognizes that leadership is rarely the preserve of one individual but frequently is exercised by a pair of individuals, a ‘Number one’/’Number Two’ combination such as a CEO and CFO or a group of individuals such as a top management team.”

During my time as a company commander I found this to be especially true. Though I was the ‘leader’ of the company, I was accompanied by a senior Non-Commissioned Officer (1SG Marcus Richardson) and an Executive Officer (XO) (1LT Richard Miller). The 1SG addressed Soldier issues and essentially took care of their daily issues and training. The XO addressed administrative and logistics needs of the company. Though both positions managed the company, both positions required great leaders to make the company successful.

1SG Marcus Richard and CPT Doug Armstrong

1LT Richard Miller (XO Extraordinaire)

 

Looking back on the situation, my company never would have been successful with only me as the leader. All three of us working in unison drove the company to success. I am a very logical and analytical person. I am good at coordinating large scheme efforts and planning operations. However, I am not a very good 'people person'. My 1SG, on the other hand, was a great 'people person'. He always knew the best courses of actions in regards to taking care of people. My XO was extremely good a working out the details. He would pick up the pieces that my 1SG and I would leave behind. At times, like during training, my 1SG was best suited to lead. At other times, like coordinating administrative activities, my XO would be best suited to lead. I was best suited to provide a moral compass to the company and lead during combat operations (though we can argue that my 1SG had more experience than I and may have been best suited).

Now What?

These six perspectives of follower-centered leadership all have a purpose and appropriate applicability. I think the overarching ‘now what’ is that I need to start viewing leadership more in terms of followers than in terms of myself as the leader. Leadership is a process. It’s not restricted to ‘leaders’ in the traditional sense of the word. In the future I need to address each position I am in from the perspective of the followers to fully understand my role as a leader.