Entrepreneur as Follower

Followership Styles as defined by Stewart L. Tubbs (2004) are behavioral tendencies people have toward authority figures (e.g., obedient versus rebellious). To be effective in this type of leadership role, one must first secure the respect of his/her team members in at least one of the following three areas:

1. Knowledge: Entrepreneur must have respected expertise and proven judgment in areas relevant to the team's goals.

2. People Skills: He/she must care about the team members and value the team's goals.

3. Performance: He/she must show that he/she is willing to take on tasks and activities that actually help the team meet their goals.

An observer of such a team would see that at any moment, the person on the team who has either information, wisdom, or creativity to offer steps quietly forward to assume the leadership position.

After one has delivered the knowledge to the group, he/she then steps quietly back into the role of a follower, as the next person slips into the leadership position. This outgoing tide and flow of leadership and followership is one of the hallmarks of a highly-functioning and productive team.
Many of the leaders do not want to be followers and for them being follower is imagined as inferior beings in need of the leader’s direction, motivation, and protection. We need to rethink this outdated script. While, the leadership for them common script in which the leader is in charge, saying, “You do this, and you do that, and don’t do this”.

Collectively, one can grow the followership field so that it makes powerful contributions to society and to the individuals who make up society and an entrepreneur must also look his/her role as follower not only from the good ideas inside the organization but also from the other institutes.

References:

• Angela Thody (2003) in Leadership and Policy in Schools, Followership in educational organizations: a pilot mapping of the territory
• Chaleff, I. (1995) The courageous follower: standing up to our leaders, San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler
• Furnham, A. (1997) The Psychology of Behaviour at Work: The Individual and The Organization, Hove: Psychology Press.