Followership: How Followers Are Creating Change and Changing Leaders (Center for Public Leadership) Hardcover – February 18, 2008

The book was a disappointment. Having read a fair amount of leadership material, I was hoping for a fresh perspective and a synthesis of what came before. I didn't find it. I did find the book overly wordy yet superficial in its treatment of its main subject (and also of history,) full of imprecise terms, unfounded attributions (i.e., frequent use of the word “we”) and sweeping generalities. Among the hundreds of footnotes, too many cite opinion pieces rather than works of scholarship.Most frustrating was all the important stuff left out. One would have expected at least passing mention of the social contract or the Federalist Papers (even as these principles apply to private organizations and alliances) in a book by a K-School prof. I searched for any mention of Eric Hoffer, who argued in “The True Believer” that mass movements are essentially interchangeable to their followers. Nothing on Albert O. Hirshman's “Exit, Voice and Loyalty.” Very little on James MacGregor Burns' formulation of transactional vs. transformational leadership (and application of these ideas to followership.) Nothing from Robert Putnam's notion of social capital. Nothing on Geert Hofstede's research for IBM on why IBM's organizational culture did not transfer to subsidiaries outside the US – especially his formulation of parochial vs. professional organizational cultures. No Everett M. Rogers on innovators and imitators. Nothing on TQM! Nothing on Clinton/Gore's Reinventing Government or the "New Public Management" paradigm in the United Kingdom. Little or no analysis of complex, multidimensional motivations in teams and as held by single individuals.I wouldn't have expected Kellerman to agree with all of these authors, but I would have welcomed a little context of how they do or do not fit into her model. My best discovery was a reference to Haslam and Platow's research paper, “A Link between Leadership and Followership: How Affirming Social Identity Translates Vision into Action,” which was new to me and is really very good. It, at least, adds a new brick to the foundation.

Kellerman makes the claim that followers are important, every bit as important as leaders (xviii). She defines followers as "subordinates who have less power, authority, and influence than do their superiors and who therefore usually, but not invariably, fall into line" (xix). Followership "implies a relationship (rank), between subordinates and superiors, and a response (behavior), of the former to the latter" (xx). Kellerman observes that followers are "less likely now than they were in the past" to follow orders without questions, never voice opinions, and know their place, and leaders make a mistake when they do not pay attention to and take seriously their followers (xxi).The book is divided into three parts. In part I Kellerman explores the nature of followership: separating fact from fiction, the relationship between leaders and followers, and the various types of followers. Part II contains descriptions of the five types of followers Kellerman identifies: isolates, bystanders, participants, activists, and diehards. In part III the author turns her attention to the future and theorizes that followers will have more influence than ever before. Over the course of the book Kellerman surveys the existing literature on followership and traces the historical development of the topic, and addresses why individuals and groups follow leaders, the influence that followers have on one another, how followers follow leaders, what makes followers "good" or "bad," and how followers can take on bad leaders.Barbara Kellerman makes a significant contribution to the practice of leadership through her compelling argument that leaders must pay attention to and take seriously their followers. This is true now more than ever before and will be essential in the future as the line between leaders and followers becomes increasingly blurred. Kellerman methodically explains why this is an important topic for leaders and gives relevant and helpful illustrations of the different types of followers and why these followers matter. The author leans too heavily on political points of discussion, but she is honest about her bias as a political scientist. That said, leaders from all walks of life, whether politics, business, education, or any other organization, would be wise to read Followership and consider the implications of the material for their particular leadership setting. More importantly, those who are followers would reap enormous benefits from Kellerman's work in order to understand how important they are to the organization and to learn what separates bad followers from good ones.There are many reasons why Followership is an important book for pastoral leaders and those who work with congregations. Too often pastors and other ministerial leaders receive both the blame and the praise for the ebb and flow of congregational life. Kellerman is clear that leaders are important, but perhaps not as important as followers to the overall life of the organization, or the church, in this case. Certainly the topic of following is a familiar one in church life because of the nature of discipleship and following Christ, but there is more to be learned. Kellerman's words sound an alarm for congregations by pointing out "better followers beget better leaders" (xxii). Ministerial leaders can gain insight from Kellerman on how to bring greater followership education to their congregations. This would include not only the importance of following Christ as individuals and together as the body of Christ, but also what it means to be a good member of a church. Followership education could address Kellerman's two criteria for "good" followers: level of engagement (some is better than none) and the source of motivation (public interests over self-interests) (229-230).Another important aspect of followership that is applicable to congregational life is the issue of accountability. Kellerman observes that self-interest motivates followers more often than not, and the benefits of following outweigh the benefits of refusing to follow - especially in a follower's relationship with other followers (49). Followers exert powerful influence on one another to conform, and this fits with a biblical understanding of accountability if congregants will spur one another on to love and good deeds and take responsibility for one another's lives. Followers may also be the key for congregations to address the anecdotal "80/20" rule, where twenty percent of the members do eighty percent of the work. Kellerman points out how followers have a tendency to disengage and be uninvolved. It may be up to other followers, and not church leaders, to convince the uninvolved that they need to re-engage with church life.Ministerial leaders will also want to pay attention to Kellerman's five types of followers and the characteristics of each one, for they can all be found in church life. Pastors must not only recognize the different types of followers, but understand how best to serve each one (or confront in love, when necessary). Followership makes a good argument for ministerial leaders to not only take seriously their followers and the impact they have on church life, but to also provide followers with a good understanding of their importance and what it means to be a good follower.

Followership is a great book that defines the true meaning of a follower, discusses past situations where followers have played both a positive and negative part in historical events and present day followers doing big things to impact leaders, law and social justice. There are several implications discussed regarding the type of follower an individual decides to be in a given situation (bystander, participant or activist). Finally, there are several great pointers for followers to influence change as well as the point made by the author of why it is important that followers are not forgotten in a leader focused society. After all, would there be leaders if not for followers?

Timely delivery and really interesting book. Good purchase.

The book by kellerman read like that of a history book. Kellerman relies on personal opinions and political rhetoric to educate readers on the topic of followership. Her concepts of follower/leader relationships were anemic at best.

Barbara Kellerman makes a strong argument for the "Followership" paradigm. In a world where strong voices have dominated; the formerly quiet are speaking up and "Leaders" best listen if they want to retain their constituencies.Kellerman's examples of the isolate, bystander, participant, activist and diehard roles that followers assume have provided credibility to the power of both good and bad leaders throughout history.If you can get past the over emphasis on Adolf Hitler, this is a promising and provacative read!"Leaders listen up and pay attention; the silent majority has found its voice"

Good read.

This book is definetely a new approach for the concept of leadership. It depicts a world where the followers create the leaders by giving some historical points along with Ms Kellerman's reflection.