KatieKnopf

4/19/2015
LEV390
(MLA)
1
Paper#1:ApplicationofKellermansTypology
WhenIwasgrowingup,IwasveryinterestedinLeadershipIjustdidntknowthatwas
myinterestatthetime.Beingtheoldestchildofmyfamily,Iwasconstantlylookingupto
adultsandinterestedinhowtheygottheirjobofbeinginchargeasateacher,pastor,or
committeechairpersonandasIstartedtoadmirethesepeopleIwantedtofindmyownways
andpathtobeincharge.WhatInowrealizeisthatitisnotnecessarilythebeingincharge
thatIadmiredinthesepeople,butIwasattractedtotheideathattheyhadpowerandinfluence.
Duringmyhighschoolyears,Ihadsomekeymentorsthathelpedshapemeinmyroleasa
studentleaderwithinmyvariousextracurricularactivities,andIcametoadmirethese
individualsleadershipstyles.AsIenteredintocollege,Ibecameveryinterestedinstudyingthe
academicsideofleadershiptheories.Ialsobecamequitecriticalofindividualsinvarious
leadershippositions,andbecamefrustratedwhenpeoplewhowereinpowerwereeithernot
usingtheirtitletoworkforthegoodofthegroup,hadseeminglyselfishambitions,orwereso
separatedintheirleadershiptierthattheyfailedtoimmersethemselvesinthepositionoftheir
subordinates(whichtheyplacedeitheraboveorbelowthem,dependingonwhichmodelthey
ascribedto).TheworkofBarbaraKellermanonthephilosophyofFollowershiphasbeen
revolutionaryinmyownpersonalfrustrationswithleadership.Kellermanempowersthe
Followerstousetheirskillsandtalentstocreatethechangethattheyneedwithintheir
organizationand/orcommunity,andcallsfortheriddanceofformalleadershiproleshaving
exclusivepower.ThisisaleadershipmodelthatIcanfinallyrelateto,whereallmembersofan
organizationarevaluedequallyfortheircontributions,ratherthanascribingtoabureaucratic


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hierarchyofpowerandinfluence.ReviewingKellermanscriteriaforgoodandbadfollowers,as
wellasgoodandbadleaders,wecanhaveaclearunderstandingofhowwecanusethedegrees
weareabouttoreceivetothebestofourabilityinordertocreateeffectivecontributionstoour
field.
InordertounderstandingKellermansideasonleadershipandfollowership,wefirstneed
tohaveacommonunderstandingofthecharacteristicsofanethicalleaderandfollower.Inorder
toassesstheethicsofothers,itisimportanttofirstexamineourownpersonalethicsandvalues.
Takeamomenttolistatleastthreeofyourownvaluesorguidingprinciplesofyourlife.One
ofmyownpersonalvaluesistheimportanceofartseducationinthepublicschools.Now,how
doyourethicsplayaroleinstandingupforyourvalues?Howcanyoutelliftheorganization
thatyouaregoingtoworkforaftergraduationhasacodeofethosthatalignswithyourcore
values?Kellermanhelpsusanswerthisquestionbydefiningethicalleadersasindividualsthat
havethefollowingcharacteristics:Putthefollowersneedsbeforetheirown,exemplifyprivate
virtuessuchascourageandtemperance,exerciseleadershipintheinterestofthecommongood
(
BadLeadership
34).Kellermanthanstatesthatethicalfollowershavethefollowing
characteristics:theytaketheleaderintoaccount,theyexemplifyprivatevirtuessuchascourage
andtemperance,andtheyengagetheleaderandalsootherfollowersonbehalfofthecommon
good(
BadLeadership
36).Thekeycomponentsthatethicalleaders
and
followershaveinan
organizationarethevirtuesofcourageandtemperance,andvaluingopencommunication
betweenallmembersoftheorganization.Formyself,thismeansthatIwillbelookingtowork
inaschoolwhereIhavethesupportofafineartsdepartmentthatiswillingtofightthegood
fighttokeepourclassesinourstudentsschedules,andwherethereisanadministrationthatis


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willingtoworkwiththespecialsteacherstoaccommodateuniqueclassroomsituationsand
valuesourcontributionstotheschoolcommunities.Usingthesecriteriacanhelpusfindagood
fitasweseekoutthejobmarketforaworkplacethatalignswithourvalues.
Nowthatwehaveanunderstandingofwhatitmeanstobeanethicalleaderandfollower,
wecannowassesshowtomeasuretheeffectivenessofleaders.Justbecausealeaderhasethical
practices,doesnotnecessarilymeanthattheyareeffectiveinhelpingtheirorganizationobtain
itsgoals.Understandingthecriteriatobeaneffectiveleaderisessentialtoknowingwhatto
expectfromyourfutureemployers,managers,andevenroommatesandromanticpartners.
Kellermanexplorestheinterestingdynamicthatleadersimposetotheirorganizationinherbook
Followership
.Therearemanyschoolsofthoughtastowhatcriteriacreatesaneffectiveleader,
andthisconcepthasbeenstudiedformanyyears.Manyofthesedifferentphilosophiescanbe
synthesizedandconnectedtoourbasicpsychologicalhumanneeds.
Ourneedsandwantsasindividualsaremetbyourplayingthepartoffollower,atleast
mostofthetime.Wegoalongbecauseweconsciouslyorunconsciouslydetermineitis
inourinteresttodoso,because(1)leadersprovideindividualswithsafety,security,and
asenseoforder(2)leadersprovideindividualswithagroup,acommunity,towhich
theycanbelongand(3)leadersprovideindividualswithsomeonewhodoesthe
collectivework(56).
Aneffectiveleaderwillbeabletoprovidetheirfollowerswithanevenbalanceofthesethree
components,butwillalsocommunicatewiththeirfollowersandseekouttheiradviceandinput
forthegoodoftheorganization.Aneffectiveleaderknowshowtoaccuratelynavigatebetween
providingstructure,order,andsecuritytotheirorganization,withoutstiflingtheindividualityor


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creativityoftheirfollowers.AsKellermansummarizes
Wedontwantourleaderstocontrol
usbutwedowantthemtoprotectus(64).Seekingoutaworkplacethatachievesthisbalance
istheultimateidealthatweshouldbesearchingforaftergraduation.
Nowthatyouhavefoundthismagicalperfectdreamjob,howareyougoingto
make
surethatyouarecontributingtothewellbeingofyourcommunity/organization?Howcanyou
ensurethatyouareusingalloftheskillsthatyouhaveacquiredfromyourliberalartstoolbox
togooduse?Byworkingwithyourleader,youcanensurethatyouarebeingagoodand
respectfulfollower.Kellermanremindsherreaderthatsincebirth,wehavebeenfollowers.
Becauseofthis,wearenaturallyinclinedtohaveasenseofcomfortandsecuritywhenseeking
outandrelyingonothersforopinions,advice,andstructure.Itsclearthegapbetweenleaders
andfollowersisclosing.Theformercannotaffordanylongertodismissthelatterlightly(46).
Whatseemsclearisthatmostofthetimeitisimportantthatfollowersfollow.Notonlyisit
theoreticallyimpossibleforeveryonetobealeader,itispracticallyimpossibleaswell(51).
Usingalloftheskillsthatwehaveacquiredinourliberalartseducation,wecanensurethatwe
arecontributingtoourworkforcebybeingethicalleadersandfollowers.