Enthused, Proactive Contributors Who Grow to Become 4R Leaders

Transcription

1 Chapter 5 Followership Enthused, Proactive Contributors Who Grow to Become 4R Leaders You don t have to look far to see the constant attention placed on Leadership. Books. Political speeches. News articles. It is a critical component of any organization and of society. Yet Followership is equally vital to getting things done successfully. Followership is the neglected aspect of Leadership development. It is often shunned; looked down upon. But highly successful organizations develop and reward their valuable Followers. Followers get things done; they make things happen. They achieve. And guess what? Proactive, enthused, positive, confident Followers are ENGAGED. THE LEADERSHIP EDGE Followership is a key component of the Leadership Edge, and we apply a practical approach that leaders can use to improve team performance and personal growth. Page 53

2 Followership Self Starters... Do-ers... Criticizers... Shirkers Let s review. A High Performance Team provides greater results for the organization and the individuals. Members of a HPT display a deep commitment to one another's personal growth and success. Understanding and applying your own and others strengths can contribute to a HPT. Now to the next component - Followership. Followership is well aligned with Strengths and High Performance Team characteristics. But before we dive into the powerful performance concept of Followership, let s talk about another consideration that impacts personal growth and team success... Engagement... Engaged s are enthused and positive about their organization, role, and colleagues. They are excited and energized about their personal contributions to the team. They are willing to put forth the extra effort to contribute to and even lead organizational success. They are fun to work with and serve as role models. Developing employee engagement is a critical characteristic of followership, leadership, and team contribution. The Gallup Corporation (the StrengthsFinder people) has done extensive research around the topic of employee engagement. They have found that only 30% of employees in the U.S. are engaged in their work and organization. This is depressing news. Managers (or Leader- Managers) account for 70% of a person s level of engagement or disengagement in the organization. Effective leader-managers who help their team members achieve high employee engagement: 1. Embrace and regularly share the organization s vision, mission, and goals with the team 2. Set clear expectations and goals for team members 3. Allow team members to work in their strengths in ways that are aligned with team goals 4. Help team members set personal performance goals aligned with the organization s vision 5. Remove cultural barriers to performance expectations. For example, leaders must have a shared vision, roles must be well defined, the organization must be well designed, and there must be a commitment to meaningful change and innovation 6. Align people, processes, and systems for successful outcomes 7. Measure and report performance metrics and regularly share them with team members. Nurturing, supporting, and maintaining employee engagement is a time consuming process and requires skill and attention by leader-managers. But it must be a priority that becomes part of an organization s leadership style and culture. Page 54

3 However, employee engagement is not just the responsibility of leader-managers. It is a personal responsibility as well. Each person on a high performing team must be committed to being engaged in their roles, responsibilities, and team performance. Ken Royal and Susan Sorenson of Gallup, in their article s are Responsible for Their Engagement Too, ( eloquently state, Engaged employees begin the day with a sense of purpose and finish it with a sense of achievement. They consistently bring high levels of determination, tenacity, energy and resilience to everything they do. They are dedicated to their jobs, and it shows in their enthusiasm, inspiration and pride in their work. They become easily engrossed in their roles, and time flows quickly for them when they are at work. They emphasize that engagement is a choice. Work is never stress- or hassle-free. Every day, you make decisions on how you will react to each situation. Positive? Or Negative? Royal and Sorenson also note that Gallup has 12 items that measure employee engagement: Engagement Factor Need That Is Addressed 1. I know what is expected of me at work Focus is on Me 2. I have the equipment I need to do my work Reduce unnecessary stress in my life 3. I have opportunity to do what I do best each day My manager knows my strengths 4. I have received recognition for good work in last 7 days My manager values me 5. My leader-manager cares about me as a person I am seen as important 6. Someone at work encourages my development My teammates care enough to help me 7. My opinions count at work My teammates listen to and respect me 8. Our Mission makes me feel my role is important I feel involved and important 9. My colleagues are committed to doing quality work This makes me feel proud 10. I have a best friend at work I have trusted relationships at work 11. In last 6 mo, my manager talked to me about my progress My manager cares about my growth 12. I have opportunities at work to learn and grow I feel challenged Each of Gallup s 12 engagement factors is imbedded in The Leadership Edge High Performance Team, Followership, and/or Leadership components. Each is designed to help team members become more engaged and to measure that engagement. As a team member, you have a responsibility to yourself and your team to contribute to your engagement level. Page 55

4 Royal and Sorenson recommend that as a team member you: 1. Use the 12 engagement factors as a guide to assess your own level of engagement 2. Form positive engagement habits by using your strengths in your role each day 3. Create an action plan for your personal growth 4. Hold yourself accountable for your behavior and attitude about your role, your team, and your results engagement is a team effort between you and your leader-manager. When team members are engaged, they become more confident, more positive, more enthused, more proactive, and... more productive. As you read, analyze, and apply the numerous aspects of Followership, think about how you can also apply the principles of employee engagement in the process. Engagement leads to Self Starter Followership. Followership is Leadership You cannot be an effective leader unless you are an effective, engaged follower. Even the most influential, high powered leaders must be followers at different points in their lives and at different times nearly each day. Aspiring leaders use growth as a follower to prepare themselves to be an effective leader. Active leaders appropriately engage in proactive followership to help their team succeed. We use Dr. Robert Kelley s Followership Model as the basis our Followership approach. Dr. Kelley, a researcher and author who has extensively studied the art of Followership, has found in his business research that over 80% of the success of most projects must be credited to the Followers who do the work and get things done. Leaders are responsible for approximately 20% of the results of a project. Kelley states that Leaders and Followers must understand how mutual and shared their responsibilities and rewards must be. Leaders and Followers depend on each other. In addition to Kelley s work, we have incorporated Followership studies and work done by Gordon Curphy, PhD of the Curphy Consulting Corporation. In their article titled Followership ( Curphy and Mark Roellig use a 4 quadrant model based on two determinants Critical Thinking and Engagement. They use the following 4 terms for their categories: Self Starter, Brown Noser, Criticizer, and Slacker. We have chosen to replace Brown Noser with the term Do-er and Slacker with Shirker, because they seem to be more accurate descriptions of those followers. We also replaced the determinant Critical Thinking with Active and Passive Contibutor because they seem to be a little more descriptive and applicable to the workplace. In The Leadership Edge Model, we view Self Starter Followers as emerging Leaders. We respect the role of Followers and embrace the critical importance of leaders who help their Followers grow. Many Page 56

5 of you will see more practical applications for analyzing the Followership abilities of yourself and your team members and of finding ways to help Followers grow and develop. The Followership Model we will use is based on 2 key determinants displayed by the individual: 1. The ability and willingness to Think and Contribute Actively and 2. The display of an Engagement in his or her role and team A person s level of active contribution of ideas is displayed along the vertical axis; from Passive Contributor to Active Contributor. The person s level of engagement in the organization is shown along the horizontal axis; from a Disengaged to an Engaged. Active Contributors Disengaged Criticizers Self Starters Engaged Shirkers Do-ers Passive Contributors A Highly Engaged, Highly Proactive Contributor is a Self Starter. A team member who is Engaged but a little more Passive in contributions is called a Do-er. A person who thinks actively but not positively about the team, demonstrates a negative view of the organization and team, and tends to contribute in more negative ways is called a Criticizer. The person who is a passive contributor and is disengaged from the team is called a Shirker. As you can see, it is a lot better for everyone to have a team filled with Self Starters and Do-ers who strive to grow to the Self Starter level. Criticizers and Shirkers bring teams and team members down and negatively impact morale, culture, and quality of care provided to patients. Let s explore each of the 4 Followership types and see How each behaves What they should do to grow What their manager should do to help them grow and contribute Page 57

6 The Self Starters Active Contributor Criticizers Self Starters Disengaged Engaged Shirkers Do-ers Passive Contributor Self Starters are - They - Driven Learners Confident in Team & Self Risk Takers Open Minded Big Picture Thinkers Problem Solvers Seek Challenges & Opportunities Enjoy Change Are Positive and Enthused How Do You Develop These Proactive, Positive Contributors Team members and transformational leaders work together to create more proactive, enthused Followers, who contribute greatly to the team. Let s Move up and to the right. Growth as a Self Starter Follower is dependent on each individual; however, each person s growth can be facilitated and enhanced by a leader who supports and understands how to nurture that growth. Conversely, a leader-manager who is unsupportive will cause a Self Starter to regress and become a Criticizer. Page 58

7 Detailed Description of Self Starters Self Starters These team members are very valuable. Your team cannot afford to lose them. Leaders must support them so they maintain and grow their enthusiasm and continue to deliver positive ideas and actions. These Followers must continue to learn, grow, take risks, and contribute; and Leaders must give full support to the Self Starters helping them think and behave even more proactively. Leaders and Self Starter Followers work together to create more opportunities and challenges for the Self Starter. How do Self Starters behave? They: How do leaders support Self Starters? They: Respect the organization s leaders and direction Are positive confident in self and in the team Embrace the vision, mission, and strategy Have a strong desire to learn and grow Enjoy new challenges; are willing to take risks Won t be too discouraged with failure if supported Embrace and are energized by change Like to be involved in critical decision making Have strong ideas but are open minded Like to identify and solve problems proactively Have a positive spirit that is usually contagious In order to Grow, Self Starters Should: o Seek ways to use their strengths o Seek learning opportunities and challenges o Seek leadership development opportunities o Approach their leader with their ideas o Strive to be even more enthused, engaged o Promote the organization and build relationships o Work to build closer relationships with the team o Never be afraid to fail o Inspire them to bring more enthusiasm and ideas o Remove obstacles that get in the way o Encourage risk; don t punish failure o Provide resources to use in efforts o Find ways to motivate and inspire the Self Starter o Seek input and ideas from the Self Starter o Provide with meaningful challenges, projects with high level responsiblity o Mentor Self Starters to help them grow as leaders; spend meaningful time with them o Challenge with ideas; seek input and feedback o Recognize, reward the Self Starter o Pat them on the back and express thanks for the effort - even if the project fails Self Starters become leaders as they learn, gain responsibility, and grow self-confidence and enthusiam. Self Starter Followers will become your leaders. The Key: Give Self Starters more opportunities and challenges So what needs to happen for a Self Starter to learn, grow, and contribute even more effectively? Follow the steps above... but it takes time, caring, and commitment to accomplish. Page 59

8 What does a Self Starter look like... I am so glad Sarah is a part of our practice. She is a role model and a great team player. She is an excellent clinician whose outcomes are in the top 10%, and her schedule fills up with patients who request her. She also takes time to mentor others and seek mentoring as well. Through her actions and words, she shows strong support of our leadership and team members and consistently reaches out to others to offer help. She regularly looks for clinical and leadership learning opportunities, seeks feedback from others, and shows enthusiasm for the practice. She is a very dependable problem solver. I really appreciate how engaged Sarah is in our whole practice and the profession. She is self confident but not cocky. She seeks challenges and is not afraid to make critical decisions. As a leader-manager, I feel very supported by Sarah in the many change efforts we are going through with health care reform; she embraces change and proactively helps our leadership team in the change management process. She is a strong Self Starter Follower who is also one of our best young leaders. Sarah should continue to seek out challenges, opportunities and learning experiences; be proactive. Her leader-manager must continue to seek Sarah s input, listen to her, and provide her with significant problem solving and learning opportunities and give her recognition and reward for her efforts. She will then inspire Sarah to keep becoming more confident, enthused, and engaged. If her leadermanager does not, Sarah will likely become disengaged and performance will suffer. Active Contributor Criticizer Self Starter Sarah Disengaged Engaged Shirker Do-er Passive Contributor Page 60

9 The Do-ers Active Contributor Disengaged Criticizers Shirkers Self Starters Do-ers Engaged Passive Contributor Do-ers are - Positive Loyal Confident in Team Dependable Good Team Players They - Get Things Done Don t Usually Like Change Like Feedback Problem Solve with Support Avoid Risk Need to Develop More Self Confidence How Do You Develop These Positive, Yet More Passive Contributors Team members and leaders work together to help the Do-ers gain more self-confidence. As the Do-ers gain self-confidence, they become more willing to take a risk; feel more comfortable offering their thoughts, ideas, and feelings; and become a more proactive contributor. This helps the team and the Do-er grow. Growth from a Do-er to Self Starter depends on each individual; however, each person s growth can be helped by a leader-manager who supports and understands how to nurture that growth. Conversely, a leader-manager who is unsupportive may cause the Do-er to regress and become a Criticizer or a Shirker. Page 61

10 Detailed Description of Do-ers Do-ers Do-ers are also valuable performers that you don t want to lose. They get things done and provide a positive spirit to the organization. They are enthused about and confident in the organization. They want to learn and grow, but lack self confidence to take risks. They have great potential to grow into a Self Starter if they get opportunities and positive support from their leaders. They will grow as they gain self confidence. How do Do-ers behave? They: How do managers support Do-ers? They: Respect the organization s leaders, direction Have a positive spirit Are confident in the organization and the team Embrace the vision, mission, and strategy Are very enjoyable to work with Take direction well Are dependable and reliable Get things done with quality results Usually good problem solvers with direction Like feedback about how they are doing Are loyal to the team Usually don t like too much change Tend to avoid avoid risk; they fear failure Contribute ideas when asked but withhold proactive input either due to lacking self confidence or feeling that input is not their role In order to Grow, Do-ers Should: o Seek and ask for ways to use strengths o Seek learning opportunities in area of passion o Seek leadership development opportunities o Ask for regular feedback and input from Leader o Approach their leader with an idea o Ask for another responsibility o Strive to be even more enthused, engaged o Promote the organization o Work to build close relationships with team o Start to reduce the Do-er s fears through positive feedback and encouragement o Put Do-er in position to work in strengths, passion o Build their self confidence through compliments and independent decision-making o Give the Do-er progressively challenging projects o Set clear, defined performance standards, goals o Seek input and feedback from the Do-er; What do you think about this? What would you do? o Work with the Do-er to determine a development plan including new responsibilities o Provide mentoring to help them grow o Recognize & reward the Do-er for efforts and results o Give the Do-er generous praise and pats on the back o Provide leadership and learning opportunities Do-ers can become stronger, more proactive, enthused Doers and progress to Self Starters over time as they gain more self confidence. It is very important that the Leader work with and support the Do-er to help this growth. These Followers can eventually become leaders. Key: Grow the Do-er s Self Confidence. Page 62

11 What does a Do-er look like... I love my job and this practice for a lot of reasons. We have a caring, fun, team culture, and you know what... Teri is a big reason why it is fun to come to work every day. She and I have worked side by side at the front desk for 4 years now. If you ask me, even though some people think Teri is kind of quiet because she doesn t always speak up at staff meetings, I think she defines our culture. Those of us who work side by side with her 8 hours a day know she s funny, smart, and dependable. Even though she doesn t always offer her opinions in bigger meetings, she is really enthused and positive about our team. She s an awesome ambassador for our therapists and this practice. She always tells patients how great their therapist is. We have a lot of responsibilities at our front desk; we have to multi-task all day long. Teri always gets everything done on time and done well; plus she helps the rest of us. I think she would volunteer to do more things for our manager, but I think she just needs a little more self-confidence. I think our manager should give Teri a few more pats on the back for her good work. Teri s leader-manager should take more time to show her appreciation for her teamwork and efforts; recognize and reward her. She should also seek Teri s feedback and input; show she values Teri s ideas and feelings. Teri should try to be more proactive; offer more input and ideas; seek opportunities. In doing so, Teri will grow her self-confidence and become more proactive. She will become even more engaged, contribute more to the organization s success, and gradually become a Self Starter. Active Contributor Criticizer Self Starter Sarah Disengaged Engaged Shirker Do-er Teri Passive Contributor Page 63

12 The Criticizers Active Contributor Criticizers Self Starters Disengaged Shirkers Do-ers Engaged Passive Contributor Criticizers have - Strong Ideas A Need for More Control Strong Feelings that Differ from Leadership A Different View of Vision & Strategy They - Are in Conflict with Leadership Do Not Respect Leadership Try to Create Converts Feel Unappreciated Create Negative Culture Are Confident in Self but Not in Team How Do You Manage Those Who Want to Actively Contribute but Are Disengaged Criticizers are a manager s biggest challenge. This employee has become disengaged from the team and has developed a negative view of the leadership and direction of the organization. This may be the result of the Criticizer s personal situation; the Criticizer s leader-manager s lack of attention or value displayed to the Criticizer; frustration with the leader-manager s style or behavior; or a combination. The leader-manager must confront the Criticizer, address the problem, seek feedback from the Criticizer, set expectations, create an action plan, communicate progress, and hold the Criticizer accountable. The employee must become more engaged, or will probably have to leave. Page 64

13 Detailed Description of Criticizers Criticizers They are typically bright, active thinkers but are not on the same page with the leadership of the organization. They may not agree with the direction or vision of the practice or may feel they are not valued. They can be valuable to the team if they align with the team s vision, mission, and strategy and feel a part of the team. They can also have such a negative impact on the team that they must leave in spite of their talents and contributions in some areas. Leaders must work with them to inspire them to be more enthused about the practice, leaders, and team; try to move them to a Self Starter. This person is a leader s biggest challenge. Do their negative behaviors outweigh their positive contributions? How do Criticizers behave? They: How do managers manage Criticizers? They: Have strong feelings & ideas about the practice Self confident but not confident in team or leaders Do not embrace team s vision, mission, strategy Feel unappreciated by management Feel that no one listens to me Need attention and appreciation Assume a conspiracy against them and their ideas Want more control, more decision-making input Create negative energy with criticisms Criticisms usually come without solutions Try to create converts to their line of thinking In order to Grow, Criticizers Must: o Must admit they are not aligned with leadership o Self reflect what are the problems and concerns o Determine a proposed solution including self accountability and personal needs/hopes o Approach leader(s) to talk about concerns o Bring leader, leader-manager a proposed soltuion o Be open minded and flexible o Ask for ways to work in strengths/passion o If can t change to align with team, prepare to leave o Document issues related to the Criticizer s behavior o Address the Criticizer be open, honest. Reveal you know he or she is not happy and has been critical o Re-explain the team s value, vision, mission, strategy o Re-state clear performance expectations o Ask Criticizer directly if he / she agrees with and embraces the organization s core values, direction; must get a direct answer on this question o Ask Criticizer to clarify views on organization s direction, purpose, strategy or other issues o Listen to the Criticizer s ideas and give feedback o Determine if you can compromise or change o If change is not an option, set clear expectation that Criticizer must embrace the company s direction o Watch and monitor the Criticizer s performance o Give special assignments aligned with the organization s direction, purpose o Recognize, reward actions aligned with expectations o Remove this person if negative behavior persits Criticizers have a negative impact on the team that can create major problems. They can potentially become Self Starters, and the leader-manager and employee must work together to make the relationship work. If not, this employee will need to find a better fit elsewhere.. Key: Address issues; clarify expectations; accountability Page 65

14 What does a Criticizer look like... I have worked here for 6 years. You d think the leaders of this practice would appreciate me more. I am one of our best clinicians, and I get a lot of referrals from physicians who know I am our best therapist. Plus... I have given my manager four or five suggestions in the past year that I know would make life easier for the therapists and care better for patients. But he never listens to me. If it s not his idea, it s not a good idea. And the communication here is terrible. My manager doesn t share information with me. I m always the last to find out. This is really maddening. I used to be proud of this practice, but now I m really upset. I am not sure why anyone even wants to work here. Gene is driving me crazy. I work with him every day. He s a great PT, but he s really upset with our manager and the practice. He complains about things every day. I don t have lunch in the break room any more because I m so tired of hearing him complain. I know he s mad and has some legitimate complaints, but he s bringing all of us down. I wish he d talk to our manager and get this taken care of. This case represents a major problem. Gene is getting increasingly upset with the practice and his manager. His level of engagement is very low, although he shows confidence and active contributions in some ways. His negative behavior, however, offsets his positive contributions. He and his manager share responsibility. He is deeply in the Criticizer category and is hurting himself, the practice and team members. Gene must reach out to his manager and express his concerns. His manager must listen to him and address his concerns, re-state expectations. They must work together to get on the same page with respect to the practice s expectations and Gene s needs. Gene s manager must improve, Gene must become more positively engaged, or this relationship may not be a good fit. Active Contributor Criticizer Self Starter Sarah Gene Disengaged Engaged Shirker Do-er Teri Passive Contributor Page 66

15 The Shirkers Active Thinker Criticizers Self Starters Disengaged Do-ers Engaged Shirkers Passive Thinker Shirkers are - They - Apathetic Unreliable and Undependable Self Centered Not Committed to the Team Not Confident in Self or the Organization Do Not Embrace the Vision, Mission, Strategy of the Organization Do Minimal Requirements Bring the Team Down Have a Negative Impact on Culture Do Not Respect Leadership How Do You Develop These Proactive, Positive Contributors Like Criticizers, Shirkers are challenging for the leader-manager, who must confront the Shirker, express concerns with behavior, seek feedback, set expectations, create an action plan, and hold the employee accountable for achieving expectations. The employee and manager must work together to ensure the employee becomes more engaged and more proactive or else the Shirker should look for another employment opportunity that is a better fit. Page 67

16 Detailed Description of Shirkers Shirkers These people do not contribute much if any to an organization or team. They do not contribute good ideas or have the drive to do so; they are not enthused about their job, the organization, or the leadership of the organization. They see their position as just a job. They have a negative impact on the team because they contribute so little, often avoid their responsibilities, and display a very negative attitude. This person probably needs to leave the organization one way or another and will never be a good fit, but a leader must at least try to salvage this person. How do Shirkers behave? They: How do managers manage Shirkers? They: Do not embrace the organization s vision, mission, strategy; maybe not even the values Feel unappreciated by management Avoid and hide from work Work on personal things and shirk responsibilities Are very unreliable and don t meet expectations Are hard to approach and get defensive Tend to buck the system with a negative attitude Basically do the absolute minimal requirements In order to Grow, Shirkers Must: o Must admit they are not aligned with leadership o Determine a proposed solution o Approach leader-manager to talk about concerns and bring proposed soltuion o Be open minded and flexible o Ask for ways to work in their strengths/passion o Perform all responsibilities and achieve expected results o Commit to being a team player o Document issues related to this person s behavior o Address the employee reveal you know he or she is not happy and has not been responsible o Re-state, explain team s vision, mission, strategy o Re-state and clarify performance expectations o Ask Shirker directly if he / she embraces the organization s core values, direction o Ask the Shirker to clarify views on direction, purpose, strategy or other issues o Listen to the employee s ideas and give feedback o Determine if you can compromise or change o Ensure the Shirker embraces direction, performs responsibilties o Watch and monitor performance regularly o Provide clear feedback on performance, behavior o Document all performance issues and problems o Remove this person if behavior continues Shirkers, like Criticizers, have a negative impact on the team. They do not contribute and tend to look at the position as just a job. The employee and manager must work together to find a solution. Key: Set clear expectations; accountability Page 68

17 What does a Shirker look like... When I took a job here 3 years ago... well, I wasn t really excited about it. I knew it wasn t a great fit for my career goals, but I couldn t turn down the $1,000 sign on bonus. And the clinic is so close to my home. 5 minutes from work. But I m losing interest. I mean... the practice has a great reputation and the people are nice, but I don t really feel connected; gosh - my manager, Tim, never even talks to me. It s a job. Maybe it s time to start looking... but I really like being so close to home. I m Lauren s manager. I am getting frustrated with her. One word describes her, Complacent. She does the bare minimum of work. She usually gets all of her documentation and outcomes work done, but I often have to remind her. She seems to disappear when a walk-in patient comes through the door. And she never volunteers to help out with our community activities like our annual 5K run and health fair. She only helps if I beg her to help. We have an annual staff party, and she has only gone to one of them in 3 years. I should probably talk to her about it, but I think she will leave soon. Lauren is disengaged and passive. She doesn t like her position, but stays only because of a convenient location. Like she said it s a job. Her manager, Tim, is also disengaged with Lauren. He knows Lauren is complacent, but he has not talked to her about it. Tim must reach out to Lauren, tell her he can tell she is not happy, give her examples of his frustration with her, seek her input and explanation, listen to her, clarify expectations, ask for a commitment to engaging, offer support, and ultimately hold her accountable. If Tim is a good leader, he will guide Lauren into finding a position better suited for her career aspirations. Active Contributor Criticizer Self Starter Sarah Gene Disengaged Engaged Shirker Do-er Teri Lauren Passive Contributor Page 69

18 Leader-managers and individuals contribute to each person s growth as a follower and progress toward becoming a leader. Leader-managers must accurately assess each team members followership status and create an action plan to help each team member gain confidence and engagement. Self Starter Followers become influential leaders. Do-er Followers, with more confidence and support, will become Self Starters. Criticizer and Shirker Followers must re-engage with the organization, it s leaders, and team members. Leader-managers must try to help them re-engage and gain self confidence to become Do-ers or Self Starters. If they cannot, it is in the best interest of everyone that they leave the organization and find a better fit. Followership is a powerful concept and a critical aspect of leadership development. Active Contributor Leader Criticizer Self Starter Disengaged Engaged Shirker Do-er Passive Contributor Page 70

19 Questions for you to consider Study the characteristics of the 4 Followership descriptions Self Starter, Do-er, Criticizer, Shirker. In your present position, what type of Follower are you? Why do you Follow as you do? What needs to happen to help you move up and to the right as a Follower become a solid Self Starter? Think about the employees in your organization Are there clear Self Starters, Do-ers, Criticizers, or Shirkers in your workplace? How does each person impact the team and which ones seemed happiest? Regarding Followership: Be a proactive follower who is enthused about your career, the team, and your practice Continually strive to become a Self Starter Personally use and apply effective Self Starter Follower characteristics to grow as a leader Try to become more self confident and proactive Seek the support of your Leader to grow and develop as a highly contributing Follower who will become a solid leader in the organization People choose to join an organization but usually choose to leave a manager Page 71

20 Pulling It All Together - Regarding Followership We must ALL not only Lead, but Follow. To become an effective leader, be a contributing Self Starter Follower. This Followership model is based on a continuum of active to passive contributor and enthused to unenthused employee. Take personal responsibility to grow as a contributing follower. As a leader and teammate, help others grow and develop to be a Self Starter The Followership Model Criticizer Self Confident Does Not Support Organization Does Not Agree with Leadership Must Embrace Direction May Need to Go Self Starter Active Contributor, Enthused and Engaged Confident in Self and Team Driven to Learn Risk Taker Needs Challenges Shirker Not Enthused; Not Proactive Lacks Responsibility Avoids Work Negative Attitude Probably Needs to Go Do-er Enthused, More Passive; Positive Lacks Self Confidence Needs smaller challenges Need success for confidence Grow to a Self Starter Each of us must strive to be an enthused, proactive follower with a commitment to the team, and leaders must strive to help their Followers grow to Self Starters. Think about the characteristics of a Self Starter and Do-er Follower. How can being an engaged, proactive follower help you contribute to a High Performance Team Culture? Page 72