Leadership is the relationship between those who aspire to lead and who choose to follow (Kouzes & Posner, 2012). Leadership is all about engaging with people living in the front-line. Effective leaders recognize the importance of building solid relationships. They spend time focusing their efforts in the key areas that will build connections with the people they lead. In order to strengthen the leadership, leaders should be willing to listen, understand and acknowledge the people they lead (Hopkin, 2011).
The strategies, tactics, skills and practices are hollow and fruitless unless the human aspirations that connects leaders and their constituents are understood and appreciated. The connection is experienced through the interaction between people. There is dynamic relationship of mutual benefit and support between the leaders and supporters. They need each other and the task, organization, business or cause they serve needs both of them. So undoubtedly, leadership is a relationship.
Credibility is the foundation of the leadership. It is the base upon which the leaders and followers build dreams and aspirations for the future. Without credibility, the relationship will rot due to lack of trust. Credibility is essential is generating confidence in unknown times. The leaders can create trust and credibility by standing true to his words, walking the talk and doing what is said will be done (Kouzes & Posner, 2014).
Followership is as important as leadership because without followers, leader is a lonely figure. The followers follow the leader not because they have to but because they want to. For example people are inclined towards certain political parties not because they are compelled to do so but they want to. The followers need to contribute as much as the leader in order to strengthen the relationship and build credibility. Identifying with the leaders, building trust, courageous communication and negotiating differences are the attributes the followers need to demonstrate to contribute to the relationship and credibility aspect of leadership. Self-management, commitment, competency, focus and courage are the qualities of effective followership (Knockalla Consulting, n.d.).
Kelly (1992) has divided the followers as alienated followers, conformist followers, passive followers, pragmatist followers and exemplary followers on the basis of independent decision-making, critical thinking and participation on the team work. The alienated followers are independent and show less engagement with the group while the conformist followers are not independent and show high enganement to the group. Passive followers are totally dependent on the leaders and the pragmatist followers show certain level of independency and engagement. The exemplary followers are critical thinkers who use their mind a lot are someone the leaders look upto. The relationship and credibility is also influenced by the type of follower group a leader is leading.
Apart from leaders and followers, organization culture should also support the relationship and credbility. For this, the organization should focus on developing leaders who are not afraid of criticisms, open and are ready to follow the followers if needed. Similarly, the followers who are able to see their current role is to follow and to show leadership if needed are to be developed. The emphasis should be given on creating leaders people want to follow and creating followers who will lead themselves to foster relationship and credibility among leaders and followers.
Leadership is the relationship between those who aspire to lead and who choose to follow (Kouzes & Posner, 2012). Leadership is all about engaging with people living in the front-line. Effective leaders recognize the importance of building solid relationships. They spend time focusing their efforts in the key areas that will build connections with the people they lead. In order to strengthen the leadership, leaders should be willing to listen, understand and acknowledge the people they lead (Hopkin, 2011).
The strategies, tactics, skills and practices are hollow and fruitless unless the human aspirations that connects leaders and their constituents are understood and appreciated. The connection is experienced through the interaction between people. There is dynamic relationship of mutual benefit and support between the leaders and supporters. They need each other and the task, organization, business or cause they serve needs both of them. So undoubtedly, leadership is a relationship.
Credibility is the foundation of the leadership. It is the base upon which the leaders and followers build dreams and aspirations for the future. Without credibility, the relationship will rot due to lack of trust. Credibility is essential is generating confidence in unknown times. The leaders can create trust and credibility by standing true to his words, walking the talk and doing what is said will be done (Kouzes & Posner, 2014).
Followership is as important as leadership because without followers, leader is a lonely figure. The followers follow the leader not because they have to but because they want to. For example people are inclined towards certain political parties not because they are compelled to do so but they want to. The followers need to contribute as much as the leader in order to strengthen the relationship and build credibility. Identifying with the leaders, building trust, courageous communication and negotiating differences are the attributes the followers need to demonstrate to contribute to the relationship and credibility aspect of leadership. Self-management, commitment, competency, focus and courage are the qualities of effective followership (Knockalla Consulting, n.d.).
Kelly (1992) has divided the followers as alienated followers, conformist followers, passive followers, pragmatist followers and exemplary followers on the basis of independent decision-making, critical thinking and participation on the team work. The alienated followers are independent and show less engagement with the group while the conformist followers are not independent and show high enganement to the group. Passive followers are totally dependent on the leaders and the pragmatist followers show certain level of independency and engagement. The exemplary followers are critical thinkers who use their mind a lot are someone the leaders look upto. The relationship and credibility is also influenced by the type of follower group a leader is leading.
Apart from leaders and followers, organization culture should also support the relationship and credbility. For this, the organization should focus on developing leaders who are not afraid of criticisms, open and are ready to follow the followers if needed. Similarly, the followers who are able to see their current role is to follow and to show leadership if needed are to be developed. The emphasis should be given on creating leaders people want to follow and creating followers who will lead themselves to foster relationship and credibility among leaders and followers.
References
Hopkin, M. R. (2011, November 26). Lead on Purpose. Retrieved from Leadership is a Relationship: leadonpurpose.com/2011/11/26/ledae...
Kelly, R. (1992). The Power of Followership. New York: Doubledag.
Knockalla Consulting. (n.d.). Followership is as Important as Leadership . Retrieved from knockallaconsulting.com/followersh...
Kouzes, J. M., & Posner, B. Z. (2012). The Leadership Challenge. San Francisco: A Wiley Brand.
Kouzes, J. M., & Posner, B. Z. (2014). Credibility. New York: A Wiley Print.