Leadership and Followership

One of the most important components of leadership is the leader. A leader is responsible for his or her followers and the overall goal of the group or organization. Leaders are the people held accountable or everything that happens, good or bad. On the other hand, the second major component of leadership is the followers. Without followers, a leader would be worthless. Followers make up the backbone of a leader because they are the masses that get goals accomplished. A leader is just one person, but the number of followers is countless. In order to be an effective follower, there are a countless number of characteristics that allow a follower to be the best they can be. Five of these characteristics include a positive attitude, communication skills, being part of the process, being open to new ideas, and patience.

The first characteristic, a positive attitude, is important because having the ability and enjoyment of working with other people in a team is a useful skill. A sincere liking and respect for other people is a wonderful asset. Being well liked will certainly help in working in teams or any other social situation. Humor and warmth are effective in order to be a good team member. A follower who focuses on positive thoughts by filtering out negative ones is on the trail of leadership. President Dwight D. Eisenhower often said, “No pessimist ever won a battle.” People who have a positive outlook on both life and specific situations tend to achieve their goals more often. The choice and determination to maintain an event-tempered disposition come what may; hence the ability to smile in the face of adversity and make things a little brighter for everyone.

Communication skills are the second characteristic that helps make foll...

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...process. Strong leaders seek the input of others in their organization, and strong followers seek to contribute whenever possible and appropriate.

The fourth characteristic is being open to new ideas. Strong followers give input and contribute, but they also realize that good ideas can come from others as well. Listening to what others have to say can be extremely beneficial to the team as a whole. It is important for followers to listen with their ears and their mind.

The last characteristic an effective follower should possess is patience. There are times when people must relax and wait for events or time to pass regardless of whether they are a leader or a follower. On the other hand, there will also be times when people should push and not be satisfied with the status quo. Critical thinking is an important part of being both a good follower and a good leader.